Dear friends,

My first exposure to ICU was as a fourteen year-old boy entering the South gate of campus, across the street from the Jomo gas station at the corner of Tohachi-doro and Hitomi-kaido. I had yet to master riding through the gate without stopping, so I got off my bike and walked through the wicket-style gate, under a beautiful canopy of trees that extended as far as the eye could see. Like many first time visitors to ICU, what struck me most was the clean air. I greedily gulped up a couple of large breaths before mounting my bike and continuing on to my friend’s, an ICU professor’s son, on-campus house.

The naturally filtered air on campus provides an apt metaphor for the liberal arts education offered at ICU. Like the air we breathe, we also require a natural balance in our lives, and the liberal arts provides students with the knowledge and experience needed to achieve such a balance. William DeWitt Hyde, the seventh President of my alma mater Bowdoin College, penned the following description of the goal of a liberal arts education.

“To be at home in all lands and all ages; to count Nature a familiar acquaintance, and Art an intimate friend; to carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket, and feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake; to make hosts of friends…who are to be leaders in all walks of life; to lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends – this is the offer of the college for the best four years of your life.”

If we take Hyde’s vision seriously, our task at both the Japan ICU Foundation and at ICU is of critical importance.

For over 65 years, the Japan ICU Foundation in New York City has worked closely with ICU, providing support for campus buildings, faculty, students, staff and alumni. Our partnership has gone through many stages, and continues to evolve. As the newly appointed Executive Director of the Foundation, I look forward to responding to and building upon many exciting initiatives at ICU. I am pleased to report that we are already undergoing a major strategic review of our work, which will continue through this fall. Ultimately, we would like to be even more responsive to members of the ICU community.

I look forward to sharing more detail with you as decisions are reached. In the meantime, we encourage you to please be in touch! We always enjoy meeting ICU alumni and friends in New York City and during our travels.

どうぞよろしくお願いたします。

Sincerely,

Paul