"Friends of Fogg" Supports Museum Activities Through Private Funds

In a report recently issued by a relatively unknown department of Fogg Museum, the following statement lay half buried in the first paragraph. "If it weren't for the 'Friends of Fogg' the museum could not do more than open its doors in the morning and close them at night."

The organization, "Friends of Fogg", has counterparts in most of the departments considered as "self-sustaining" by students within the University. Its primary function is to cover the area of operation which is not met by funds from either endowment or service activities.

In Fogg Museum, this area is roughly 25 percent of the total expenditures, and must be met by contributions solicited by this organization. Mrs. Jane McCarley, author of the report is secretary to "Friends of Fogg," and is extremely concerned about its future.

"Friends of Fogg" was formed in 1913 to "spread interest in the work of the museum and to obtain funds through membership subscription." It has carried out these objectives throughout 37 years of its existence, and its membership has grown to about 400.

The term "membership," as applied to this organization is a nebulous one, for the "Friends" ranks are made up of people who have made contributions ranging anywhere from five dollars to $50,000. However, in recent years, due to the pressures of income tax, it is now more dependent on a greater number of gifts from the $500 and under range.

It is this demand which has prompted the museum to intensify its membership drive this year. In a recent report, John P. Coolidge '35, associate professor of Fine Arts and director of the William Hayes Fogg Art Museum in 1949, stated that "Finance remains the museum's most pressing and immediate problem. Since the war, we have reduced our purchases of photographs by four-fifths, and we have not been able to replace deteriorating equipment. Ten years ago there were some 67 people working for the Fogg Museum; now there are 47. Yet this reduced group is serving 20 percent more student and the intensity of the museum's activities has not diminished."

The new membership drive will take place through an increasing number of privileges offered to members. Affairs such as special openings, lectures and teas are being planned, so that people who are looking for "immediate returns" on their contributions will join the ranks of "Friends of Fogg."

In the Coolidge report, the director pointed out that, ". . . the Fogg Museum can only balance its budget if it receives annual gifts for immediate use totalling almost $50,000." This goal has not been met in recent years, having raised only $28,000 last year and a smaller sum the year before.

Although a definite program for the year is not yet ready for publication, the initial offering, a special opening for the October 16 show, "3 Designers for the Contemporary Theatre," will be typical of those to follow it. At the prevue to be held two days prior to the public opening, the three Harvard alumni whose works will be exhibited, Robert Edmond Jones '10, Donald Oenslager '23, and Lee Simonson '09, will discuss their work with the members of "Friends of Fogg."

Mrs. McCarley is optimistic about the program for the year. She feels that with the increased interest in the fields of Fine Arts, students will welcome the opportunities the organization offers them, and incidentally share the burden of operating Fogg Museum for the benefit of all.