For more than 90 years the College magazine has helped keep Hood alumni connected to their alma mater. The humble beginnings of the publication trace back to the earliest days of the first campus literary magazine, The Lesbian Herald. Begun in 1896, The Herald was accessible to alumnae by subscription and regularly included notes and news submitted by alumnae readers to share with their classmates. Distribution, however, was relatively limited, and in 1925, the Alumnae Association resolved to produce an alumnae bulletin and send it to all former Hood students with the interest in better connecting alumnae with each other and the College. Under the leadership of an executive secretary, the first issue was published by the association in early 1926, although apparently without an outlined printing schedule. In July 1928, the first booklet-style bulletin was produced, boasting a well-defined and organized format with new issues mailed every other month. As of that date, 4,050 bulletins had been mailed to association members and graduates in the preceding year. Members of the alumnae body were primarily responsible for the published content. The bulletin communicated the actions of various alumnae organizations, highlighted campus and alumnae events, featured stories on the work of successful graduates, and shared general news items submitted by class members. By the mid-1960s, the number of issues released each year was reduced to four, and the bulletin became known as a magazine. With the assistance of alumni office staff and volunteer class reporters, the College’s marketing office currently produces and distributes Hood Magazine twice a year. Nearly 50,000 copies of the two 2017 issues were mailed to constituents in the United States and 70 other countries worldwide. Also available on campus and online, the magazine continues to uphold the founders’ original mission to inform and engage Hood alumni.
