NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 11, #47; 8 DECEMBER 2005)

By Bruce Craig (editor) with Nathaniel Kulyk (contributor) NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY (NCH) Website at http://www.h_net.org/~nch/

1. HISTORY IS SLIPPING AWAY SAYS REPORT
2. NEW MEMBERS GIVE ADDED CLOUT TO HISTORY COALITION
3. "TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY" GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT
4. AN EISENHOWER MEMORIAL -- A STEP CLOSER TO REALITY
5. FRANCE REQUIRES TEXTBOOKS TO PUT POSITIVE "SPIN" ON NATION'S COLONIAL PAST
6. BITS AND BYTES: NCH Fundraising Drive Continues; NARA Summer
Institute; Gilder Lehrman Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships
7. ARTICLES OF INTEREST: "Black-Oriented Museums Are lacking Black
Donors" (Washington Post)

1. HISTORY IS SLIPPING AWAY SAYS REPORT
On 6 December 2005, Heritage Preservation, a Washington-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our nation's heritage, in partnership with a federal agency -- the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) -- released a study documenting the condition of America's cultural heritage. The "Heritage Health Index" report suggests that poor environmental controls, inadequate staffing, improper storage, and poor planning for emergencies such as floods threaten many historical collections.

The report includes data compiled from more than 3,000 historical institutions, including historical societies, government archives, museums, libraries, universities, and scientific organizations. The study details the preservation needs of an estimated 4.8 billion items, including books, works of art, scientific specimens, manuscripts, photographs, film, recordings, and digital materials. Of the holdings that were documented, approximately 820 million, or 17%, were determined to be in urgent need of preservation. In addition, the report indicates that one-third of the institutions surveyed acknowledge that they lack adequate knowledge of the condition of their collections; 65% of collecting institutions have experienced damage to collections due to improper storage; 80% of U.S.
collecting institutions do not have emergency collections plans with staff trained to carry them out; and a total of 190 million objects are in need of conservation treatment.

While the survey was conducted with anonymity to encourage the widest participation by institutions, the report highlights a few specific cases.
For example, Joshua Fox, curator of the Soldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, estimated that it would cost $5,000 to $15,000 to repair each of his institution's battle flags, a sum that the museum cannot afford. He said, "Our organization here struggles just to keep the doors open most of the time, let alone pay for these flags."

The report documents that the greatest threats to historical collections are environmental control hazards, which include inconsistent temperatures and high humidity levels. These can lead to mold, severe drying, and general deterioration. Ultraviolet rays are also a threat, as buildings with poor controls can cause documents and textiles to fade. Pollutants in the air can also cause harmful chemical reactions.

Heritage Preservation hopes that this report will help institutions assess the state of their collections and their needs relative to those of other organizations across the country and to convince government agencies, private foundations, and governing boards of various institutions that they need to direct money not simply toward the acquisition of artifacts for their collections, but toward the preservation of artifacts that they already have.

A 20-page summary of The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections is available in PDF format at http://www.heritagepreservation.org/HHI/HHIsummary.pdf . For additional information, please visit http://www.heritagepreservation.org/.

2. NEW MEMBERS GIVE ADDED CLOUT TO HISTORY COALITION
The National Coalition for History (NCH) is pleased to welcome two new members to the history coalition: the National Council for History Education (NCHE) and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Both organizations membership is largely comprised of secondary school history and social studies teachers and collectively these organizations will boost the coalition's grassroots advocacy efforts on the part of history in our nation's schools.

Founded in 1990, the NCHE is a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting the importance of history in schools and in society. The organization seeks to provide a communications network for all advocates of history in education, whether located in schools, colleges or universities, museums, community groups, or other historical organizations. The NCHE believes that social sciences and all current issues are best studied when placed into a historical context and perspective and that historical study is a precondition for all intelligent personal and political judgments. As such, they are strong advocates of ensuring that history is and remains at the core of the academic curriculum on all levels of education. For more information, please visit the NCHE's website at http://www.garlandind.com/nche/ .

Founded in 1921, the NCSS has grown to become the largest organization devoted solely to the promotion of social studies education, defined as "the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence." With members in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and 69 countries around the world, NCSS serves as an umbrella organization for elementary, secondary, and collegiate teachers of history, geography, economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and law-related education. Organized into a network of more than 110 affiliated state, local, and regional councils and associated groups, the organization represents classroom teachers, university faculty, curriculum designers and specialists, social studies supervisors, and leaders in the various disciplines that constitute social studies. For more information, please visit the NCSS website at http://www.ncss.org/.

Organizations interested in joining the National Coalition for History should consult the NCH website at http://www.h_net.org/~nch.org or contact the director at rbcraig@historycoaltion.org for information.

3. "TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY" GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT The Department of Education is pleased to announce the availability of "Teaching American History" grants for FY 2006. The goal of the program is to support various projects that raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of American history.

This year's program continues to offer competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs). The purpose of these grants is to promote the teaching of traditional American history in elementary and secondary schools. Grants are used to improve the quality of history instruction by supporting professional development for teachers of American history. In order to receive a grant, a local educational agency must agree to carry out the proposed activities in partnership with one or more of the following: institutions of higher education, nonprofit history or humanities organizations, libraries, or museums.

The application deadline is 3 February 2006. Applications must be submitted electronically though the e-GRANTS system at http://e-grants.ed.gov/ . For a printed application, please contact Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398, or call (toll free): 1-877- 433-7827. For more information on the Teaching American History grants, visit here .

4. AN EISENHOWER MEMORIAL -- A STEP CLOSER TO REALITY Plans for a memorial plaza honoring former president and World War II general Dwight D. Eisenhower has gained the approval of a key planning commission. The National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission has approved a four-acre site located on the southwest corner of Maryland and Independence Avenues, SW near Washington D.C.'s National Mall. The site faces the south entrance of the National Air and Space Museum and has a view of the Capitol building.

Approval by the commission is only one step in a long review process. The location must also be approved by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, and then submitted to Congress and the White House. The approval process frequently take years to complete. The Eisenhower commission must now develop and approve a design for the memorial and begin to raise money for the construction.

5. FRANCE REQUIRES TEXTBOOKS TO PUT POSITIVE "SPIN" ON NATION'S COLONIAL PAST Recently we reported on the enactment of a law in France that requires school textbooks to put an upbeat spin on a painful colonial past, ignoring complaints from historians and individuals from the former French territory of Algeria (see "France's Positive Spin On Colonial Past Creates Uproar" in NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 11, # 42; 4 November 2005). Now an update on the status of this controversial law.

By a vote of 183-94, France's lower house has rejected an effort by the opposition Socialist party to kill the law. President Jacques Chirac has called the law "embarrassing," and has threatened to delay the signing of a friendship treaty with the North African nation of Algeria. Education Minister Gilles de Robien said last month that textbooks would not be changed despite the law that is currently in place.

Members of the Socialist party have argued that the textbook law is offensive to former colonies and citizens with French roots who live there and should be erased. "Our history, if we want it to be shared by French citizens as a whole, must recognize both glorious achievements, but also the darker moment, with lucidity, without there being an official history decided by parliamentarians," said Jean-Marc Ayrault, head of the opposition party in the National Assembly.

Lawmakers from the governing conservative UMP party quietly passed the law in February of 2005 when only a handful of deputies were present. It came under full public scrutiny in recent months with a petition from history teachers. It was also denounced at a recent annual meeting of historians. The controversial language states "school programs recognize in particular the positive character of the French overseas presence, notably in North Africa."

The debate continues on the heels of nearly a month of riots in France's poorest suburbs by youths, many of whom are immigrants or of North African origin. The riots were widely seen as a plea for equality by a population shunned to the margins of the mainstream French society.

6. BITS AND BYTES
Item #1 -- NCH Fundraising Drive Continues: As we enter the final weeks of the year, we wish to remind readers that both organizations and individuals are invited to help support the NCH by making a special end-of-the-year gift. To date this year, a number of NCH member organizations have increased their annual contribution to the history coalition. The include: the Southern Historical Association, the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, The History Channel, the Community College Humanities Association, the Connecticut Committee for the Promotion of History, the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and the Association of American University Presses.

Individuals may donate directly to the NCH at 400 A Street S.E. Washington D.C. 20003, or, by making an online donation at http://wwwconservenow.org/detail.asp?ORGID=2032&memflag=true . Federal employees can make a donation through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) workplace donation drive. The National Coalition for History is a member of the Conservation & Preservation Charities of America (http://www.conservenow.org). Our federal agency CFC donation code is CFC # 2351.

Item # 2 -- NARA Summer Institute: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has announced its 27th annual institute for educators in the summer of 2006. Entitled "Primarily Teaching: Original Documents and Classroom Strategies," the institute will be offered a three of the agency's locations. These include the National Archives in Laguna Niguel, CA, held on 12-16 June 2006; the National Archives in Washington, DC, 21-30 June 2006; and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, KS, 17-21 July 2006. The institute is designed to provide educators from the upper elementary, secondary, and college levels access to the resources of the National Archives.

Participants will learn how to research the historical records, develop classroom materials based on the records, and present documents in a manner that will sharpen the skills of students and develop their enthusiasm for history, the government, and other areas of the humanities. The cost of the institute, including all materials, is $100. For an additional fee, graduate credit from a major university will be available. Participation in the session located in Washington DC is limited to 20 members; participation in the other sessions is limited to 10 members each. Applications are available online at http://www.archives.gov/education/primarily-teaching/ . For more information about the sessions, please contact the Primarily Teaching Education Team at education@nara.gov .

Item #3 -- Gilder Lehrman Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is pleased to announce its 2006 summer research fellowships for college sophomores and juniors in New York City. Students with a serious interest in American history who have demonstrated academic excellence in the field are invited to apply for one of 15 elite History Scholarships that include a six-week all expenses paid scholarly research program in New York City, running from 18 June - 29 July 2006. In addition, there will be up to 50 awards for runners-up, who will be named finalists and invited to an all expenses paid one-week program in New York from 3 -10 June 2006. Recipients will receive a stipend of $2,400, along with room, board, and travel expenses for the six-week program. They will conduct primary source research to prepare historical materials for publication. They will also participate in weekly meetings with eminent historians to discuss historical issues and gain insight into history as a profession. Additionally, scholars will participate in behind-the- scenes visits, led by archivists, to leading repositories of American historical documents, printed books, and material culture.

Finalists not selected for the six-week program will be invited to the one-week program that aims to foster an interest in American history through field trips, discussions with professionals about careers for history majors, and lectures by leading historical scholars. Applications must be postmarked by 1 March 2006 and include a signed cover letter, resume, college transcript, historical writing sample, and two letters of recommendation. Application materials can be sent to History Scholars Program. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History 601 West 110th Street, Suite 4M New York, NY 10025. All notifications will be mailed by 3 April 2006. To request further information, please e-mail scholars@gilderlehrman.org, or phone Justine Ahlstrom at (212) 316_5280. For more information about the institute, previous scholarship recipients, and past projects, please visit www.gilderlehrman.org.

7. ARTICLES OF INTEREST
One posting this week. In "Black-Oriented Museums Are lacking Black Donors" (Washington Post; 6 December 2005), a Post correspondent reports on the challenges facing museum directors and other cultural executives in raising funds from prominent black Americans. For the article, tap here.

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Who We Are...
The National Coalition for History (NCH) is a nonprofit educational organization that provides leadership in history related advocacy; it serves as the profession's national voice in the promotion of history and archives, and acts as a clearinghouse of news and information of interest to history related professionals. Membership in the history coalition is open to organizations that share our concern for history and archives. For information on how your history/archive organization can become a member, visit our website at http://www.h-net.org/~nch/ and click on the "Join the Coalition" web link.

Contribute and Support this publication...
Individuals are invited to help support the NCH by sending a donation directly to the NCH at 400 A Street S.E. Washington D.C. 20003, or, by making an online donation here . Federal employees can make a donation through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) workplace donation drive. The National Coalition for History is a member of the Conservation & Preservation Charities of America (http://www.conservenow.org). Our federal agency CFC donation code is CFC # 2351. Please contribute!

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