President, Markem Corporation
Chair, Keene State College Science Center Campaign

Since my early boyhood in this city, I've watched Keene State College undergo a remarkable change. No longer is it a modest institution tucked between downtown and a hospital. Today's Keene State College is one of the country's finest publicly supported liberal arts colleges.

To alumni of Keene Normal School, Keene Teachers College, and Keene State College: You should be proud of your alma mater, not only for its contributions to your lives and careers, but also for the institution it is today. Every step of KSC's progress, large and small, is value added to your diploma, no matter when you graduated.

This issue of Keene State Today highlights the generosity of the greater Keene State family – not only alumni but other friends as well. I applaud the many contributions that help strengthen KSC's academic and athletic programs, scholarships, and facilities. This year, however, the College's annual fund offers a special opportunity to help elevate KSC as a regional center for science and technology.

It's my great pleasure to chair the fundraising campaign for the new Science Center, "Windows into Science; Portals to the World." The Putnam family – and our corporation, Markem – have proudly supported Keene State College through the years, chiefly in the arts and through our matching program for employees, but also in such initiatives as the region's first Internet service provider.

The Science Center campaign is an exciting new direction in our relationship with Keene State. My father, David Putnam, was a chemist, so my own interest in the project grows in part from my family history. But, more than that, the new Science Center represents a promising opportunity for this entire region in its potential for developing scientists, teachers, and other professionals. For years now, Markem people who trained at Keene State College have been a critical part of our work force. This outstanding new facility will germinate even more talent for the schools and businesses of our state and region.

This year KSC is asking all constituents in its broad community to make contributions at a higher level than ever before. Let me urge you to visit campus and see the Science Center construction site – or click through the stories of science in the making at www.keene.edu/science. Think how proud you can be of this institution. And join us all in this historic moment at Keene State College.