The Campaign to Honor the Class of 2013

Deerfield Academy Center for the Arts, in the Memorial Building

Deerfield Academy and the Senior Parents Committee invite the families of the Class of 2013 to join together to support the funding for a new Center for the Arts in the Memorial Building. The core elements of the project include the complete renovation and expansion of the Large Auditorium and Lobby, the construction of a 1,210 square-foot Art Gallery on the west side of the building, and a new 160-seat Concert Hall on the east side. In combination with the newly refurbished Greer Store and Dining Hall, this project represents the completion of a seven-year program to upgrade the Academy’s core community spaces.

While critical thinking skills allow us to understand the complex world around us, our creative skills enable us to respond to it. In creating a new Center for the Arts, Deerfield will create a community space to inspire, delight, heal, inform, and surprise. The comprehensive renovation and expansion of the Memorial Building will position Deerfield as a leader in the development of artistic excellence while revitalizing a beloved Academy landmark.

For 60 Years

…the Memorial Building has embodied Deerfield’s warmth and tradition. Originally known as the Alumni Memorial Building, Deerfield’s arts building was inaugurated in 1952 in honor of the 61 Deerfield alumni who lost their lives in World War II. It is in the Mem that new students stand to introduce themselves to each other, the community gathers for school meetings and performances, and our seniors gather the night before Commencement for the Senior Cry.

Thanks to an anonymous $4 million matching grant, the families of the Class of 2013 have an opportunity to leverage their philanthropy and complete the funding of a facility that will impact every student at Deerfield for decades to come. We thank you for your support.

The depth and strength of Deerfield’s programs are possible only because of the incredible support the Academy has received from its parents and alumni. Philanthropy is the difference between a good school and a great school, and thanks to the generous gifts of generations before us, we can say that today, ours is a great school.

The cost of a Deerfield education is approximately $78,000 per student per year – meaning that all of our students are on some measure of financial aid. Our endowment is able to provide a significant proportion of the difference between this cost and tuition, but not all of it. This is the reason that we ask parents and alumni to help support the school’s mission as generously as they are able.