Megan Gately helps with promotions

Education director Megan Gately always has new ideas for teacher development and to share the stories of the Historical League. Arizona Recollections and Reflections is a wonderful book for educators, librarians, teachers and historians. I am happy to give her a display book to show at her events. We are glad Megan is on our team.

Megan Gately moving forward with education at AHS

Megan Gately, Education Program Co-ordinator at AHS, is full of ideas and energy. With the rapidly approaching Centennial celebration, she has even more activities. She has helped the Historical League many times, most recently helping me fill out forms to be a official vendor for Mesa Public Schools. We are looking forward to having them see our Centennial Legacy Project book, Arizona Recollections and Reflections, An Arizona Historymakers Centennial Commemoration.

Megan is now getting much needed support staff with Nancy York, Megan's new intern from ASU and Nikole Brasch, Educator.

National History Day winners

National History Day makes history come alive for America's youth by engaging them in the discovery of the historic, cultural and social experiences of the past. Through hands-on experiences and presentations, today's youth are better able to inform the present and shape the future. NHD inspires children through exciting competitions and transforms teaching through project-based curriculum and instruction.

We are so pleased that AHS Museum Director Kyle McKoy and Education department Megan Gately have brought the National History Day to so many students. When they got involved the program was a very minor effort in AZ. This year 67 students from grades 4-12th went to Washington D.C. to participate. They met Senators Schweikert, McCain and Flake. They toured museums and Congressional halls. It was a life changing event for these students.

Congratulations to
3rd place in Performance: Elaissia Sears, Angelique Guerrero, Matthew Fichtemaier
Mesa, AZ, Red Mountain High School
Teacher(s): Julienne Collums
Entry - Integration Altercation

Staff Appreciation Luncheon

The Historical League really values the talents and hard work of the staff at AHS Museum, Papago Park. Each June we host a luncheon to show our appreciation and to hand out grant money for the coming year. This year we were able to donate $65,000 to the AHS Museum and look forward to seeing the wonderful things they will do. New director, Kyle McKoy talks about events at the Museum during the meeting.

Donna Esposito dishes up a delicious lasagna for everyone.
Jeff Hotchkiss is ready to enjoy a Centennial chocolate bar from the Historymakers Gala while Megan Gately and Dawn discuss ideas with League members.

Historymakers Gala Work

Thanks to a wonderful staff at the AHS Museum (photos of Megan Gately and Jeff Hotchkiss) for their help with the preparations for Historymakers Gala and Recognition Program. Jeff has spent hours researching, documenting and editing photos of our honored Arizonans. Zona and I were thrilled to get the CD for volunteer Joan Robinson-Blumit to upload to the website and to use in the upcoming Gala Centennial book. This enables teachers, students, researchers, family historians and more to access the information about some of Arizonans most celebrated people.

Jana Bommersbach at AHS Museum

Mark this date on your calender for an interesting talk about this mysterious historical event in Phoenix.
April 24, 2010, 10:00 a.m. Jana Bommersbach, Author
The Trunk Murderess: Winnie Ruth Judd
AHS Museum at Papago Park, 1300 N. College Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281. Free parking at the museum.

Free Admission.

One hot Phoenix night in 1931, Winnie Ruth Judd allegedly murdered her two girlfriends, stuffed them into a trunk, and took them by train to Los Angeles. Jana Bommersbach reinvestigates the twisted, bizarre murder case, uncovers evidence long hidden, and encourages Judd to break her life-long silence.

Free copy of book given to the first 25 guests. A flyer about this event can be found at http://www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org/UserFiles/PDF/news_events/Bommersbach_Tempe2.pdf.
For information, contact Megan Gately in the AHS Education Division -- Telephone: 480-929-0291 ext 137 Email: mgately@azhs.gov.

Grants Awarded to Museum

The Museum is very grateful for their grant money from the Historical League. The funds go to such projects as MYCE (Museum Youth Curators Experience), National History Day, and wonderful interns from ASU. The new Sandra Day O'Connor exhibit is sponsored by the Historical League and should have a grand opening in the fall. We also help provide digital and video cameras, computers for video conferencing and membership in Papago Salado Project. A new project is St Mary's Food Bank Collection. This is the first food bank in the world and we are processing this collection now. Many other items are included for a total of $69,525 in grants.

Seth Willey, Administration and Facilities, Ashley Smith, Library and Archives, Megan Gately, Education, and Dr Peter Welsh, Director, with Jeannine Moyle, accept grant gifts.

MYCE opening day Saturday, May 9

Lots of talking, laughing, speeches, children, parents, dignitaries (including Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman) and excitement...that was the opening of the Museum Youth Curators Experience at the Museum. Honor students from the 8th grade at Greenway Middle School worked since September to research and create exhibits with the theme "From the 60's and 70's". Kudos to Megan Gately, Heidi Cocco and Kyle McKoy for all their hard work and inspiration to so many students. Everyone enjoyed themselves, tasted sweet treats and followed the students through the exhibits. They will remain open for several months. My daughter, Candice, and I learned more about the program from Megan. It is rewarding to see that funds raised from the Historical League go to such great community outreach educational programs.