Dear Reader,
This is the 20th letter I’ve written asking for contributions to Notre Dame Magazine. That’s hard to believe. It feels like it was just a few years ago that, as editor, I took on the daunting responsibilities for a publication with a scary-sized budget and had to start thinking about paper stock and printer choices and the U.S. Postal Service and a freelance fund for writers and other creative contributors and how to pay for it all.
When I mentioned my trepidation to my predecessor and good friend, Walt Collins ’51, he said it’d be just like my family budget “only with a lot more zeroes behind the numbers.” Inserting my personal finances into the equation did little to ease my fears. But together (along with the patience and savvy of our business manager, Julie Ettl), we have not run the magazine aground. In fact, we continue to produce a robust periodical that reflects the quality and vision of the University and our readership. This success is directly attributable to the generosity of our readers, and nothing over these years has been more rewarding or gratifying than to have benefited from this encouragement and support.
But we need your continued help. The magazine really does depend upon the goodwill of our readers. So we ask for a gift of $30. Any donation to the magazine is applied to the annual contribution necessary for the football ticket lottery, and gifts of any amount are welcome. This year, in appreciation of gifts of $54 or more, we will send donors a print, “Grace at the Grotto” — a painting created for this purpose by acclaimed watercolor artist Stan Fellows. While the entire staff is appreciative of your support, I am particularly grateful — that your trust and generosity through these years have kept this magazine healthy and true to itself.
Yours in Notre Dame,
Kerry Temple ’74