Technology and the Public Interest
Books, essays, and commentary from John Palfrey
Essays
Notes from AI Action Summit in Delhi, India, February 2026
Reflections on AI, governance, and the public interest from the AI Action Summit in Delhi.
Read essayConcord Free Public Library 150th Anniversary Celebration
Remarks on libraries, civic institutions, and the enduring importance of public knowledge.
Read essayInvesting in the Arts—in Chicago and Beyond
Thoughts on philanthropy, culture, and why investing in the arts matters for public life.
Read essayCommentary from John Palfrey
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On the Executive Orders of January 2017
The President’s Executive Orders on immigration have prompted calls of concern from students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff at Andover. I’m sure that is true at all schools that are committed to a diverse student body and faculty. Last year, we had applicants from 96 different countries around the world. Every year, we admit students…
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Local Student “Totally Knows When Head of School Day Is,” and it’s Tomorrow
Mark your calendars and put off your homework assignments, Andover! The Gorilla has an exclusive scoop on when the fabled Head of School Day will be this year. It’s tomorrow. Don’t believe us? Wait… Source: Local Student “Totally Knows When Head of School Day Is,” and it’s Tomorrow
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Guest Blog Post: Trustee Steve Sherrill, on the All School Meeting Address He Would Have Given
This weekend, we welcomed our trustees and many other alumni and parents to campus for meetings and also the 137th Andover-Exeter sporting contests. Over the course of the last several days, I have received a lot of feedback about the All School Meeting address that I gave on Wednesday morning after the presidential election. One…
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All School Meeting: Post-Election, November 9, 2016
Good morning, Andover. We gather here in All-School Meeting after a night that goes down in American history as one of the most unpredictable and anxiety-provoking any of us has ever witnessed. I am well aware that this morning there is a wide range of emotions in this Chapel: for some, despair, fear, anger, and…
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All-School Meeting Introduction: Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld ’96
[These are my prepared remarks for the introduction to our All School Meeting on the topic of Youth From Every Quarter for Fall, 2016. I did not give these remarks verbatim in the interest of time, but delivered most of them as written.] ASM Introduction Youth From Every Quarter, October 5, 2016 Good morning, Andover.…
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Commencement Address, Phillips Academy 2016
Commencement Address Phillips Academy, Andover June 5, 2016 John Palfrey Welcome, everyone – trustees, faculty, and staff; faculty Emeriti; alumni, families, friends, and – most of all – our beloved students. Thank you for your presence with us today. I would like to start with a note of gratitude to the adults in the Andover…
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Search for a President of the Boston Public Library
Since September of 2015, we’ve been in the midst of a search to find a new President of the Boston Public Library. The BPL is an amazing institution on many levels. Part of the greatness of the BPL derives from its history: it is the first free municipal library in the world, the first to…
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All School Meeting Address, May 4, 2016, Phillips Academy
All School Meeting Address (Excerpt) May 4, 2016 John Palfrey, Phillips Academy […] I was in North Carolina recently, at Duke, and I talked with a recent graduate from the class of 2014. He just loved Andover and told me how much he missed it. I asked him what he missed the most about it.…
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Head of School Bookshelf, Spring, 2016 Edition
This Spring term, I’m putting out on the bookshelf outside the Head of School’s office copies of the following books for the Andover faculty. The idea is that the books can go and stay home, come back to the bookshelf, or end up as a gift to someone else. The Spring, 2016 list includes: Sarah…
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Head of School Bookshelf, Winter, 2016 Edition
For the cozy Sundays in New England, with snow lying all around (as it is this morning in Andover, MA), here’s the line-up of books I have put out on the Head of School bookshelf for faculty at Phillips Academy: James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time. I re-read it over the winter holiday break and…