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September 13, 2001

Dear Members of The Fletcher Community,

Chris and I, together with the entire Fletcher community extend to you, your loved ones and your colleagues, our sincerest wishes and prayers for safety and peace during this difficult time of tragedy and loss. This is a time when we must take comfort from each other, be kind to one another, and above all, reflect on what has happened. Together we will help each other cope with the tragic consequences of these cowardly acts.

We have been in touch with Gayle Meyers and Colum Garrity, President and V.P. of The Fletcher Alumni Association of Washington D.C., and Meeta Anand, President of the Fletcher Club of New York City. All three are working with us to monitor the status of our alumni who work or live near the crash sites. Our Development and Alumni Relations Office has been trying to reach those graduates and friends of the School who work at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Many have responded. Some have not. So far, we have received no confirmed knowledge of loss of life among the immediate families of Fletcher faculty, staff and students. I would appreciate your alerting Roger Milici in our Development and Alumni Relations Office or me if you become aware of members of our community who have suffered personal loss in order that we can provide support as needed and appropriate. 

To extend the support and concern of The Fletcher Family, we have set up a discussion forum to discuss the events of the last 24 hours. You may access this by going to the following URL: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/discuss/

Additionally, The Fletcher Alumni Association of Washington D.C. has created a message board for the status of Fletcher alumni and friends.  You may access this by going to the following URL:  http://www.fletcheralumnidc.com

Finally, I ask that you be examples of reason and moderation, and not jump to premature conclusions or rash judgements. Here, at Fletcher, we are hosting a "Town Meeting" in the Hall of Flags at 11:30 a.m. today.  I will moderate this meeting, which is open to the Fletcher community.  Professors Fawaz, Gopin, Henrikson, Hess, and Shultz along with students John Moore and Michele Malvesti will be present to provide some insights in matters relevant to the major incidents since Tuesday along with practical experience understanding issues involving terrorism. However, the discussion will be informal and present an opportunity for all members of our community to participate in a dialogue about the issues and implications of Tuesday's events. Sometime next week, Fletcher is hoping to host and lead a similar symposium for the entire Tufts community. I would encourage your Clubs to engage in similar events in the near future. If I or our Office of Development and Alumni Relations can help in any way, please be sure to contact us.

For now, be safe, be alert of your surroundings, and know of our support and concern for you and your loved ones.

With warm regards,

Stephen W. Bosworth Dean