On Monday, May 11, 2026, the presentation of the book by Dr. Polyanthi Tsigkou, Philologist and former Co-Director of Athens College, took place at the packed Choremi Theater. Addresses were delivered by Alexis Phylactopoulos ’65, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic-American Educational Foundation, and Professor Spiros N. Pollalis, President of Athens College.

Mr. Phylactopoulos welcomed the guests and praised Ms. P. Tsigkou’s contributions to the College in various leadership roles, as well as the significance of her book, which enriches the English-language literature on the College alongside The Story of Athens College. The First 35 Years by Homer Davis and Athens College, 1925–1975, by Georgios Phylactopoulos, translated from Greek. As he noted, the book is expected to contribute to reflection on the College’s achievements and shortcomings at the end of its first century.

The President welcomed the publication of the book in the context of the College's pluralism and described it as significant for its commitment to College values and to academic research. He also emphasized that the subtitle Educating the Whole Person captures exactly the educational experience offered by the College.

Speaking about the book were Panayotis Bernitsas ’67, a member of the Hellenic-American Educational Foundation (HAEF); Elli Filippopoulou ’88, a member of the HAEF Board of Directors; Nikos Kalogeras, a philologist and teacher at Athens College High School; and Panagiotis G. Kimourtzis, a professor at the University of the Aegean. At the end, a video message from Professor Gary McCulloch of the UCL Institute of Education was shown.

Mr. Bernitsas focused on the chapter of the book that includes testimonials from alumni and teachers regarding social life at the School, the social outreach work of the Student Community, the construction of schools through student fundraisers, while also sharing personal memories of similar activities from his own class, which have left an indelible mark on him. He described the book as “rich in content and thought-provoking.”

Ms. Filippopoulou, an alumna of the College’s first co-ed class in 1988, noted the significance of the book being written by a dedicated educator, emphasizing, however, that it is not merely an academic dissertation but a book written with love. She even expressed the hope that the author’s study of the College’s educational system would continue and be updated from 1990 to the present.

Mr. Kalogeras highlighted the book’s objectivity and scientific approach, emphasizing that the College is examined within the broader social and cultural context of Greek society, the constant changes that affected the School and the changes brought on by the School itself. As he mentioned, the book will serve as a significant reference for future studies on the College.

Professor Kimourtzis also spoke about the research methodology that the author carefully selected and applied to answer her research questions. He noted that Ms. Tsigkou did not choose to create a personal narrative about the history of the College and the aspects of education she experienced as an employee there, but rather to tell the School's story through the eyes of a researcher and to distance herself from her experiential involvement.

Dr. Polyanthi Tsigkou thanked all the speakers at the event and everyone who contributed to the book. She also extended special thanks to the members of the administration and management of Athens College who approved the multi-year research project for her doctoral dissertation and its printing as a College publication.

As she explained, the reasons that led her to select the topic of her book were the three articles published by the “father” of the College, Stephanos Delta, in 1932 in the journal Ergasia, and the inspiring speech by Eleftherios Venizelos in May 1929 at the inauguration ceremony of the Benaki Hall.

Finally, she noted that proceeds from the book's sales will support the Athens College Scholarship Program.