Sweet Briar College Magazine - Fall 2016

Dear Alumnae and Friends,
Following the closure announcement last March, a series of miracles followed. All of
them were predicated on very hard work, sacrificial efforts and generous gifts. Practically
unprecedented in American higher education, the alumnae saved their college.
A miracle. Faced with the daunting circumstances of no faculty, staff and students and
with many programs closed or transferred, the College needed another miracle to open in just 6
weeks. It happened. Needing still another miracle, the College asked its alumnae to contribute an
additional $10 million for operations. The alumnae responded with the funds. As a result, the College
spent no endowment for the first time in memory.
We have celebrated digging out of the deep hole we did not create. We made far more progress last
year than anyone could have expected. Having entered our second academic year, we are thrilled that
156 new students enabled us to meet our projections for total enrollment this year. We expect to grow
by an even larger number in each of the coming years. Some of our star faculty, having left after the
closing announcement, returned. All programs remain open; the calendar is full of athletic contests,
concerts, plays, special events and traditional activities. Sweet Briar College is alive and well!
Last year, when the seniors came to Sweet Briar House for the traditional champagne toast, I
invited them to sign their names on the back of a large banner I keep in the library. It bears the
statement I made in my first message to the community after becoming president, “At Sweet Briar
College, the impossible is just another problem to solve.” I had written at the top “We Were Here
Making History: Class of 2016.” Some were in tears as they inscribed their names.
All our alumnae were also making history, and you continue to make history as we make our
way out of the financial hole caused by the closing efforts. This year, as last, and during the next
few years, the alumnae will need to carry the load of assuring that their college survives while the
enrollment is built back to more stable levels. Whether volunteering to weed flower gardens, polish,
paint etc., participating on a committee, offering counsel or contributing financially, the alumnae
have always been there for Sweet Briar. Since this is the “place for miracles,” I know you will continue
to do what is necessary to save your college. We are not only making history; we are preserving
a magnificent institution. I am sincere when I respond to proffered compliments of my
leadership by saying that the alumnae do all the hard work, I simply have the privilege of
riding in the Vixen Cart. Thank you for affording me that honor; thank you especially
for your friendship, encouragement and support. We must continue to be One
Team, preserving Sweet Briar College forever.
Yours truly,
Phillip C. Stone
President
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