Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn President Bill Clendaniel Retires

President’s Corner A publication of the Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery President’s Corner 580 Mount Auburn Street Cambridge, MA 02138 617-547-7105 www.mountauburn.org In past issues of Sweet Auburn we have focused on horticulture, Mount Auburn as wildlife habitat, our 175th Anniversary and education. This issue’s theme is Preservation and Service. Some time ago I coined the phrase to sum up for staff, Trustees, visitors and clients what we are all about. For us, preservation does not just mean looking after our built structures; it includes the constant process of landscape rejuvenation that “preserves” our horticulture and our natural habitats as well. But over the last year we have paid particular attention to our built structures—our buildings, mausolea, monuments, fences, curbings and other man-made features in the landscape that so define Mount Auburn. We have adopted a philosophy, Bill Clendaniel cataloged our resources, drafted policies and, most impor- tantly, added to our staff, both senior management and those who actually repair and catalog. Editorial Committee Priscilla P. Morris, Editor Senior Vice President of Development Stephen H. Anable, Managing Editor Communications Coordinator & Writer William C. Clendaniel, Contributing Editor Trustee & President, Mount Auburn Cemetery Candace Currie Director of Planning & Cemetery Development Bree Harvey Director of Education & Visitor Services Jennifer J. Johnston, Photo Editor Visual Services Coordinator Stephen R. Silver Director of Planned Giving Brian A. Sullivan Archivist Margaret L. Winslow Curator of Historical Collections Designer Elizabeth Bonadies Printer P+R Publications Cover: Liriodendron tulipifera, also called the tulip tree. Inset: Mount Auburn Cemetery President Bill Clendaniel Photos by Jennifer Johnston Trustees of the Friends of Mount Auburn Mary Lee Aldrich, Cambridge, MA Clemmie Cash, Chair, Wellesley, MA William C. Clendaniel, Boston Thomas C. Cooper, Watertown, MA Caroline Loughlin, Weston, MA Sean McDonnell, Cambridge Caroline Mortimer, Cambridge Ann M. Roosevelt, Cambridge Much of my service has involved preservation. When I came to Mount Auburn 20 years ago, preservation of structures meant routine maintenance; it did not focus on the all-important decorative details of buildings, the special needs of our delicate marble monuments, the fragility of our records and their inadequate storage—if in some cases we even knew of their existence. I am gratified that all that has changed, and as I leave Mount Auburn, I am confident that we have built a more comprehensive and sophisticated program of preservation into our institutional DNA. This is my sixth President’s Corner column for Sweet Auburn and it will be my last. As I lay down my responsibility for this magnificent place, I am grateful for many things—the opportunity to lead one of Boston’s oldest and most beloved cultural institutions; the support of a smart and involved group of Trustees; the comradeship and learning of professional colleagues around North America working in cemeteries, botanical gardens, public parks, governmental agencies and historic sites; but most of all for the dedication, skill, energy and caring of the men and women who work here, without whom none of our achievements of the last 20 years would have taken place. Mount Auburn is in a strong position to continue growing and changing, as it has for 176 years, preserving the past while providing service to our community. Honorary Trustee of the Friends Susan W. Paine, Cambridge The Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery was established in 1986 to assist in the conservation of the Cemetery’s natural beauty and to promote the appreciation of its cultural, historic and natural resources. Organized in 1990 as a 501(c)3 non- profit charitable trust, the Friends seeks financial support from its members, other individuals, foundations, corporations and public agencies. It receives gifts for educational and interpretive programs and materials for the public, specific cultural projects, and operating support for horticultural rejuvenation and the preservation of the historic monuments, structures, and archival artifacts and records. The Friends has over 1,200 active members. Photos left to right: Bill Clendaniel at age 2 in his native Vermont; azaleas at Mount Auburn; Nick Longo and Isabella Jaffe, both of Cambridge, at Visitors 2 | Sweet Auburn Center opening in May. William C. Clendaniel, President pg. 1 pg. 10 pg. 22 Sweet Auburn

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