January 22, 2011

To:       UIC Trustees
Paula Allen-Meares, Chancellor
From:  Vincent Romano, Taylor Street Archives
Re:       January 20, 2011 presentation

Thank you for the opportunity to address your group on a matter of mutual concern; i.e., the mission of the Hull House Museum, as mandated by Board policy.  The success in the implementation of that policy was also touched upon in that presentation. The following, for our mutual edification, is extracted from the Museum’s mission statement.  The full body of that mission statement is available.

Mission Statement
The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum serves as a dynamic memorial to Jane Addams, the work of her associates, and the neighborhood they served. The museum embodies UIC’s urban land grant commitment by preserving and developing the original Hull House site for the interpretation and continuation of the historic settlement house vision, linking research, education, and social engagement.   Read more…

Growing up in Taylor Street’s Little Italy

By Luke Capuano

Supporting contributor: Vince Romano

“A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.”

Elsewhere in these Taylor Street Archives is a story that begins as follows:  In India, they have a saying reserved for those individuals who had influenced and shaped our lives.  That saying is, “You are my Gemma.” The Gemma is a tributary to the Ganges River.  From the point at which the Gemma flows into the Ganges, the Ganges is no longer the same river.  Its course is forever influenced by the Gemma as it winds its way down to the ocean ultimately influencing and shaping the landscape of distant shores.  “You are my Gemma.”  A tribute reserved for those who had become our Gemmas during our personal journeys through life.  A tribute reserved for those who made us something different than we would have been had we not met them.

Read more…