The Extension School received a thank-you note the other day from a woman (not an alumna) who took courses at our School nearly 30 years ago. She had moved away from the Boston area but was visiting Harvard Square last month, came upon our offices, and was moved to write.

"I took courses in Appreciation of Modern Sculpture and Russian Literature in 1968-69 while my husband attended Harvard Law School. My life has been richer the last 30 years because of what I learned then. Sculptures in museums or outdoors, the collapse of communism--all have a context set in these earlier courses.

"Please know that the service you provide makes a difference. The older I get, the more I realize that appreciation of the world comes after learning about it. Thanks, and keep up the good work."

Consider her thought--appreciation of the world comes after learning about it--in the context of the Harvard Extension School's mission to provide the opportunity for continued education to all who enroll for courses, for degrees, for certificates, or for diplomas.

While the School has grown greatly and has augmented its offerings with substantially expanded programs, instructors, and staff since the late 60s, and while the body of knowledge an educated man or woman is expected to possess has exploded exponentially since that time, one constant has remained: The Extension School stands ready to provide all who enter with the tools to learn about our world so that they may better appreciate it.

Our local alumni/ae are picking up on that theme. Elsewhere in this issue is a report on the successful Harvard Extension Alumni Association year just concluded, a year when many local graduates came to four lively meetings that featured Extension School faculty and University staff speaking on topics of current and general interest. Many of our graduates also continue their formal studies to other degree and certificate programs here or at other universities. From notes our far-flung alumni/ae send us, we know that wherever they are in this world, they seek out additional educational opportunities.

The Pennsylvania Dutch have a pithy saying: "We grow too soon old and too late smart." Continuing education is a bulwark against the dire consequences of the latter half of that dour observation.

But this is not an essay in self-congratulation. As the Harvard Extension School prepares to enter the next century of service, it needs the support of its alumni/ae to continue the vision John Lowell, Jr., had on the banks of the Nile at Luxor, a vision of an educated citizenry in his native city, Boston.

Please reflect on your Extension School experiences. Are you inspired to send a thank-you note, too? Or perhaps more than a thank-you note? We welcome your thoughts and your support!