May 22, 2007
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Dear President’s Circle Member,  Anne
and I recently returned from Paso Robles, California, where we attended
the Trustees’ Tribute to the President’s Circle.
Seven
trustees underwrote the event, which was hosted by Elizabeth Harler Van
Steenwyk ’48 and her husband, Donald, at their winery,
Adelaida
Cellars. More than 70 President’s
Circle members and guests joined us, and more than half of them were
members of the Lincoln-Douglas Society ($100,000 or more in lifetime
giving). Current students Kenji Mori ’07, Leah Heister
’08,
Erica Jaffe ’08, and Maurice Harris ’08 also
attended and
spoke eloquently about their Knox experiences. Professor Robert Seibert
’63 explained the
excitement generated by the new educational program. The setting,
company, and wine made for a great afternoon. There were other highlights of the weekend. Donald Van Steenwyk generously opened his business, Applied Technologies & Scientific Drilling, to President’s Circle members on Friday night, including dinner and a tour of the facilities. And the weekend was rounded off with winery tours or a visit to Hearst Castle, the legendary home of mogul William Randolph Hearst. (See pictures from the weekend.)
The Trustees’ Tribute was just one of this spring’s many highlights. On May 7, Knox hosted His Excellency Zhou Wenzhong, Ambassador to the United States from the People’s Republic of China. Knox joins John Hopkins, Brown, and Cornell Universities as American schools that have hosted Ambassador Zhou this spring. Ambassador Zhou delivered the 2007 Caterpillar Distinguished Lecture in Global Affairs to a standing-room-only audience in Kresge Recital Hall. The Caterpillar Foundation supports lectures at Knox by renowned experts in global affairs. In addition to his lecture, the Ambassador had breakfast at Ingersoll House with leaders of the Galesburg Regional Economic and Development Association to discuss future economic ventures between Galesburg and China.
As of May 17, the 2007 Senior Challenge stood at 71 percent participation. Particularly exciting is the fact that 93 seniors who contributed to the Senior Challenge are members of the John Finley Society, the President’s Circle for young alumni—$100 in year one, $200 in year two, and so on until they reach $1,000 annually. Picking up on David Schulz’s idea that led to the highly successful Trustees’ Tributes for the President’s Circle, Anne and I hosted beverages and hors d’oeuvres at Soangetaha last week for the Class of 2007 Finley Society members. It was fun to see most of the men in ties, some in jackets even, and virtually all of the women were all decked out, some in cocktail dresses. I could envision them in Pasa Robles 20 years from now as full-fledged President’s Circle members. Knox’s excellent reputation, which financial support from President’s Circle members helps sustain, continues to grow. “When asked which schools they had considered or were considering, participants mentioned the same three schools repeatedly as their only choices for the best schools in Illinois, in terms of quality and prestige: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Northwestern University, and Knox College.” This is a finding in a study by Illinois State University that investigated why Illinois students go to out-of-state colleges and universities. The study surveyed high school seniors, college first-year students, high school guidance counselors, and parents. President’s Circle members should not be surprised by this finding. Your continued support for Knox and word-of-mouth endorsements help contribute to the perceptions of those that were surveyed. But it’s still nice to see that others recognize Knox’s academic excellence. Further evidence of Knox’s growing academic reputation can be seen in this year’s Admission numbers. For the second year in a row, Knox received a record-number of applications for admission, ultimately 2,536 applications for 340 slots. As of May 22, Knox has received 331 deposits for the fall class. Right now, Admission projects an entering class on target at 340 students The academic profile of the entering class is strong. For example, as of May 11, 42 percent of the deposits from first-year students rank in the top 10 percent of their class, compared to 35 percent for last fall’s class. The average ACT is 29, compared to 27 last year. SAT is 1287 versus 1237, again, compared to this date last year. Twenty-two percent of U.S. first-year students are students of color, compared to 21 percent last year. And twenty-nine international students have currently made deposits. As of the close of business, Monday, May 21, the Knox Fund has received $2,272,646 or 88 percent of plan, compared to $2,035,560 or 82 percent of plan this time last year. Total fundraising is $9,195,672, compared to $6,174,255 last year. The College continues to run a bit ahead on donors with 5,555, compared to 5,446 last year. Hermann Muelder wrote that in the spring, a college, reverses nature and drops its fruit. Last Monday, Anne and I attended the spring K-Club banquet honoring spring Prairie Fire athletes, with special recognition to the seniors. Last Tuesday, Dean Bailey and I sat quietly at lunch while five seniors described to the administrator of the Richter Memorial Trust their projects in DNA mapping, international photography, trash scavenging in Thailand, writing as therapy, and studio art. Wednesday evening, Anne and I attended the annual Honors Banquet during which the academic excellence of graduating seniors and other students was recognized with prizes and awards. Last Thursday, we stopped by an art exhibit by students not majoring in art in Hamblin Hall and then repaired to Kresge for a dazzling performance by members of the Knox Dance Program. As I write this, I can hear out my open window the whosh-whosh of the sprinklers watering the new “presidential sod” on the South Lawn of Old Main. And my assistant Denise Bailey is finding out that President Clinton’s staff is just as fussy as that of the Chinese Ambassador. The 162nd Knox Commencement promises a dynamic conclusion to what has been another great year for the College. Knox could not have had another exciting year without your support. Members of the President’s Circle, responsible for 80 percent of overall giving to Knox, make possible the teaching and learning that takes place each and every day on our prairie campus. Thank you.  Roger Taylor ’63 President
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