We have always admired André Gide’s observation that Toutes choses sont dites déjà, mais comme personne n’écoute, il faut toujours recommencer: “Everything has already been said, but since no one is listening it is always necessary to begin again.” Is there a more succinct description of the task of humanistic education? Is there a better summary of what, for more than a decade, we have attempted here in our closing issue of the season? We said it last year. We will say it again. Paying homage to those individuals and entities without whom The New Criterion could not succeed is a duty that is also a pleasure. This minor act of what Virgil called pietas (we said that before, too) confronts us with a task that is even more gratifying than it is imperative.
As we have observed before in this space, The New Criterion exists only because our extended (and, we are happy to say, growing) family of readers demonstrate by their support that they want us to exist. We take no government money and never have. We depend absolutely on all those who subscribe and donate to the magazine. You make our monthly publication, as well as our vibrant online presence, possible. In recent years, we have expanded our activities to include conferences, symposia, recitals, and other gatherings. We would not have been able to do any of this without your help.
We are particularly grateful to those who created and sustained The New Criterion in its early years. We would like to mention in particular the late, lamented John M. Olin Foundation, as well as the Sarah Scaife Foundation and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which have been critical supporters for more than four decades. Our late friend Donald Kahn intervened to help us with major support at a parlous moment.
In addition to these founding benefactors we are proud to name other individuals and entities that have stepped forward to support us with major gifts this year. We want to mention in particular The Achelis & Bodman Foundation, Mary Ellen Bork, The Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation, Richard Crisler, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Ira D. Epstein and Jo Ellen Terrell, The Gale Foundation, Kenneth C. Griffin, The Hickory Foundation, Richard R. Hough III, The Kleinschmidt Family Foundation, The Thomas D. Klingenstein Fund, Ronald and Jo Carole Lauder, The Marcus Foundation, The Fred Maytag Family Foundation, Thomas E. McInerney, The Dian Graves Owen Foundation, David Packard, The Pinkerton Foundation, Don and Donna Riley, The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund, Edward A. Studzinski, The Thomas W. Smith Foundation, The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, The Triad Foundation, and Helen Zell. To this distinguished list we would like to add the name of that prolific philanthropist, author, artist, and composer—Anonymous—who has also manned the battlements in defense of culture and for our benefit.
Thank you all for your friendship and support this past year. Together, you are the conditio sine qua non of our efforts. We are deeply grateful for your help and we look forward to many more years of fruitful collaboration. See you in September!