Tracy,
This may be useful (probably indispensible) in filling the gaps for those who may come to the forefront in dealing with the intellectual arrogance of the Museum.

1. The actual handout given to the UICBOT is attached. It differs from the abbreviated handout you received in that it contains the following:
   

   Summary:

   In addition to the Hull House rolls, every writer, every historian of the Italian American experience confirms that, for most, if not all of the history of the Jane Addams’ Hull House, Italian Americans were the primary component of the Hull House Neighborhood.
   The history of the Jane Addams’ Hull House is not complete without acknowledging the symbiotic relationship that existed with the Legendary Taylor Street’s Little Italy. The Neighborhood, with its original enclave of 10,000 Italian-American immigrants (1895 census), became the laboratory upon which the Hull House elitists tested their theories and based their protests to the establishment.

   Petition:

   If the UIC Board concurs that the residents of Taylor Street’s Little Italy were the dominant constituents and beneficiaries of the Hull House phenomenon, we ask the Board to consider the following to improve upon the original Museum’s mandate:

• Concurring with the HH Director that “History should include the stories of those who lived it,” we request that the Museum pursue, for the benefit of scholars, historians and the public, the implementation of that philosophy. The Taylor Street
  Archives fits that definition and others may as well.
• In keeping with tradition, it is also suggested that at least one representative of the community should be appointed to serve on the Museum’s Board. That individual, preferably, should be someone who knowledgeably represents those who lived the experience of growing up in Taylor Street’s Little Italy, the inner core of the Hull House Neighborhood.
2. After my presentation to the UICBOT, Chris Kennedy, President of the UICBOT, and Chancellor Meares approached me to set a meeting with the Dean of the School of Architecture and Lisa Lee, the Museum’s Director. Chris Kennedy, strongly suggested that I recommend, at that meeting, that a link for the stories of those who lived the experience of growing up in the Hull House neighborhood should include the stories of other ethnic groups…in addition to the TaylorStreetArchives.com. Needless to say, I
   concurred.
3. The meeting was held on Feb 21, 2011 at School of Architecture. Lisa Lee, the Museum’s Director, did not show. It appeared that her well-honed “Samurai Museum Director” performance (John Belushi, Saturday Night Live), of which I am all too familiar, won her the right to exclude herself.
4. The meeting was an enigma of confusion. Dean Kirschner repeatedly contradicted herself and repeatedly challenged the authenticity of Jane Addams own words, the Chicago Tribune’s publication of the 1890 invitation to the community; the 1987 Sun-Times investigative article on Wallace Kirkland’s photograph, “The Hull House Kids” –(“they were Irish kids in that picture as well”). She insisted that Ms Lee’s quoted interview, “After all, Hull House served 24 other ethnic neighborhoods,” referred to the 1895 ethnic map of the near-west side. (That 1895 ethnic map shows a smattering of 13 ethnic groups…not 24). Amazingly, stories such as Luke Capuano’s story about growing up in Taylor Street’s Little Italy also came under attack because it was not “vetted” by a registered historian. There was no response to my inquiry, “How does a registered historian authenticate how Luke or anyone else felt about playing under the fire hydrant on a hot summer day or their first trip to the Hull House Summer Camp, The Bowen Country Club?”Dean K. boasted that the Museum now has some exhibits that include Italian Americans from the neighborhood. There was an exhibit of an Italian immigrant making something or other. (“We’re more than just objects and artifacts. Our legacy is in the sum of our stories.”) Per Dean K., the Museum now includes Florence Scala in their exhibit. That information was volunteered, I assume, to satisfy our right to be part of the Hull House legacy. Aside: The photograph of “The Hull House Kids” was no longer visible last time I was there.
5. What I had gleaned from that meeting was;
   a. Dean K. was boastfully proud about the fact that she herself was a “registered historian.”
   b. Dean K. had personally hired Ms Lee in 2006 to be the Director of the Museum.
   c. Ms. Lee was able to get a $300,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) to upgrade the Museum.
   d. Dean K. was outwardly boastful that she was on a first name basis with Christopher Kennedy… “Chris and I….Chris had visited the Museum…Chris was pleased with the renovation…etc….etc….etc.”
   e. To have a link in the Hull House titled “Stories from the Hull House Neighborhood,” as was suggested by Chris Kennedy would require a “vetting” by a registered historian. (Once again, she was not able to answer why a registered historian would be needed to confirm how someone felt running through a fire hydrant. Or how would a registered historian confirm what has already been confirmed and documented by reporters, Jane Addams, census takers, etc.?
   Virtually everything in the TSA is documented…including the interview quotes from the Director.)
   f. Amazingly, Dean K. volunteered the following, as well: To include the TSA in the bibliographies along with thousands of otherreferences would also require a “vetting” by a registered historian. (And again, Dean K. was unable to respond to my question, “How do registered historians vet the thousands of references already in the bibliography? How do registered historians vet or authenticate the directory of the Guardian Angel Church. How do registered historians authenticate a feeling or a thought?”)
   g. Neither Chris Kennedy nor Chancellor Meares made any reference that a web site with the names of people who were members of the various organizations in the community and the their stories would require a registered historian to validate them. And Chancellor Meares is a noted sociologist with numerous publications to her credit.