FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jim Turner Wednesday, May 19, 1999 (202) 606-8671 12 NEH PROJECTS AMONG NATIONAL TREASURES TARGETED FOR SPECIAL FUNDING BY WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON - First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that 12 projects submitted by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to the White House Millennium Council under the Council's Save America's Treasures initiative have been accepted for funding. NEH was one of 12 federal agencies asked by the Council to submit a list of projects, including intellectual and cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites, that are of national significance and in dire need of restoration. Sixty-two projects were selected from all 12 agencies. "The National Endowment for the Humanities is unable to fund all of the critically important and nationally significant projects that are submitted to the Endowment for funding," said NEH Chairman William R. Ferris. "The White House has shown tremendous leadership in recognizing this problem and doing something about it. Through this partnership with the White House and other federal agencies, NEH is proud to be doing our part to ensure that the many stories which comprise America's history will be available to our children and grandchildren." Seven projects, totaling $1,089,607, will be administered by NEH. They range from antislavery literature to the papers of F. Scott Fitzgerald. The other five NEH-submitted projects, totaling $4,199,198, will be administered by the National Park Service. Attached is a list of the 12 projects. The National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1965, is the largest funder of humanities programs in the United States. The Endowment's mission is to promote knowledge of human history, thought and culture and to enhance the role of the humanities throughout the nation. NEH provides funding support in four areas: preserving and providing access to cultural resources, education, research and public programs. # # # Save America's Treasures Initiative White House Millennium Council National Endowment for the Humanities Projects May 19, 1999 Submitted and administered by NEH Anti-Slavery Pamphlet Collection Cornell University Library Ithaca, New York Award amount: $ 331,000 Cornell University holds one of the world's most distinctive collections of anti-slavery literature. A.D. White, first president of Cornell, began this collection, which documents the anti-slavery struggle at the local, regional and national levels. Many pieces of the over 10,000 item collection are from the libraries of anti-slavery movement leaders. Much of the paper has turned brittle with age, and some ink of the period contributes to further paper deterioration. Funds will support a comprehensive conservation project for the collection. Coolidge Collection of Thomas Jefferson Papers Massachusetts Historical Society Boston, Massachusetts Award amount: $ 55,624 The Coolidge Collection is the largest collection of Thomas Jefferson's personal correspondences and writings outside of the Library of Congress. Donated by four generations of Jefferson's Coolidge descendents over a period of 60 years, the collection contains more than 9,000 pieces of correspondence, 440 architectural drawings and 13 manuscript volumes. Funds will support the conservation of the correspondence and four of the manuscript volumes, which are in a deteriorated condition. Dutch Colonial Manuscripts New York State Archives Albany, New York Award amount: $ 79,025 This collection, spanning the period 1638-1670, is the earliest administrative records of what became the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and western Connecticut. The records deal with a wide range of issues, including the law, criminal prosecution, civil disputes, land conveyances, defense, relations with Indians and revenue generation. Translation of the records is underway, and funding will enable conservation of the collection, making it available for research for the first time. F. Scott Fitzgerald Papers Princeton University Library Princeton, New Jersey Award amount: $ 50,000 Since donation of this collection in 1950, Princeton University has been the world center for primary research on noted American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The collection includes manuscript versions of all his works, among many other items. Decades of heavy research use and acidic paper have put the collection in jeopardy. Funds will be used to deacidify, repair and rehouse the collection to ensure that it will continue to be available for research. Jane Addams/Hull-House Photograph Collection University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, Illinois Award amount: $ 92,876 This collection consists of 5,000 historic photographs and 32 yearbooks that document the work of Jane Addams and her associates in the settlement house and social reform movements. Age and frequent use endanger both the photographs and the yearbooks, to the point that parts of the collection have been withdrawn from use. Funds will support the production and cold storage of 6500 preservation master negatives that will make the entire collection available for research without endangering the irreplaceable original documents. Louis Armstrong House and Archives Queens College New York, New York Award amount: $ 300,000 Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong influenced American music and culture in his many roles as jazz musician, singer, actor, comedian, entertainer, author and cultural ambassador. After the death of Armstrong's widow Lucille in 1983, this house lay untouched until 1991, while water penetration, unfiltered sunlight, high humidity, and vandalism contributed to the deterioration of the building and its furnishings. Funds will be used to repair damage and conserve interior features and finishes in preparation for opening to the public on the centennial of his birth. Paper-Based National Icons Maryland Historical Society Baltimore, Maryland Award amount: $ 181,082 The Maryland Historical Society holds a number of national treasures, including the original manuscript of the "Star-Spangled Banner," 56 of the 57 competition drawings for the U.S. Capitol and original watercolors of the interior of the White House by Benjamin Henry Latrobe. All are in need of conservation, which will be supported by these funds. Submitted by NEH and administered by the National Park Service Chesterwood Stockbridge, Massachusetts Award amount: $ 119,849 Chesterwood is the home and studio of Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial. The house is an eclectic building with architectural and siting elements of the Italian Villa and the Colonial Revival styles. French, one of America's foremost sculptors played a major role in the design and decoration of the house. Two porches are close to collapse and original tapestry wallpaper is threatened by deteriorating plaster. Funds will support restoration of the porches, stabilization of the plaster and restoration of the wallpaper. Gropius House Lincoln, Massachusetts Award amount: $ 64,349 Walter Gropius, founder of the German school of modern design known as the Bauhaus, was one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. After fleeing Germany, he built this house for his family in 1937, and it remained occupied until his widow's death in 1983 when it came into the possession of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA). Already deteriorated at that time, damage has increased due to water infiltration. Funds will be used to repair the windows, a primary entry point for moisture, and to restore water-damaged plaster. Jackson Ward National Historic Landmark District Richmond, Virginia Award amount: $ 650,000 Richmond was one of the foremost black communities in the nation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Jackson Ward was the hub of the community's professional and social life. Many buildings are vacant and suffer from deterioration due to unsound roofs, wall openings and arson. Funds will support the stabilization and weatherproofing of a number of key buildings to preserve them for future rehabilitation and reuse. The Mount Lenox, Massachusetts. Award amount: $ 2,865,000 Home of the celebrated author Edith Wharton, The Mount is a National Historic Landmark. It is also an autobiographical house, designed and built by Wharton based on the precepts outlined in her books The Decoration of Houses and Italian Villas and their Gardens. Funds will be used to complete the stabilization of the building's exterior, to restore the greenhouse that is in danger of collapse and to restore the gardens that have been badly damaged by heavy visitation. Washburn A Mill Minneapolis, Minnesota Award amount: $ 500,000 A National Historic Landmark, Washburn A Mill represents Minneapolis' reign as the flour milling capital of the world from 1880 to 1930. Built in 1879, the mill was the birthplace of General Mills, producer of Gold Medal flour, and the home of Betty Crocker's kitchen. The vacant mill was heavily damaged by a 1991 fire that left its walls and foundation exposed. Funds will be used to stabilize and preserve the structure, enabling the construction of a museum of the milling industry inside the walls. # # # ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://museums.state.nm.us/nmmnh/museum-l.html. You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).