Not too late to save I-House?

I was shocked and grieved to learn of the proposed closing of International House. I also am angry that I heard nothing of this until so late in the process. While I never lived at International House, many of my friends did, and the whole campus benefited from the cafeteria and the gracious public rooms. It was a haven for older students who did not want to live in dorms and could not afford apartments. It also was a great place for foreign students and visitors.

Since graduation, I have stayed there when I returned to the U of C. As far as I know, it is the only lodging for visitors that is at all convenient to the campus. I also have benefited from its relationship with the I-Houses at Berkeley and Columbia. It would be a tragic loss for the U of C if this building, with its history, were to be closed.

In the years since my graduation I have supported the annual U of C fund drives as best as I can. I, and I am sure many others, would gladly help a fund to save I-House. I am not the "Big Donor" supposedly sought for this purpose, but many smaller donors can produce amazing results--if they are asked. I have zero interest, however, in providing real estate for the Business School.

Please reconsider this closing of a beloved institution.

Lucy Brundrett Jefferson, AB'54, AB'55, AM'57
Boston