Published by the Historical Society of Southern California Mary Catherine Hall Janice Harbin Abraham Hoffman O'FLAHERTY TEACHING AWARDS PRESENTED our deserving reachers received the O 'Flaherty Distinguished Teaching Janice Harbin Janice reaches second grade at Lakeland Award during the annual Holiday F Elementary School in Norwalk. She is an Open House on Saturday, December 9 at enthusiastic supporter of history in the El Alisal. The award, named in honor of classroom and includes it in every aspect of JosephS. and Louise O'Flaherty, recognizes her reaching: in licerature, art and excellence in the teaching of history among language. Janice focuses on local history. elementary and secondary school Her srudents were among those who per­ educators. The winners were: Mary fo rmed train songs at the dedication of Catherine Hall, Janice H arbin, Abraham Hericage Park Trai n Depot in Santa Fe Angie Sims Hoffman and Angie Sims. Springs. Janice continues her own growth The award consists of a certificate, a in child development and the reaching of one-year membership in the Historical literacy skills. Janice also lends her Angie Sims Society and a check for $500. The award expertise as a resource reacher and Angie Sims has been an insrrucrorl recipients also receive a copy ofJosephS. fac iJiraror co local and regional institutions. consultant for the Los Angeles County Office O 'Flaherty's rwo-volume history of Los of Education since 1992. Angie designs Angeles: An End and A Beginning: The South materials for live interactive television and Coast and Los Angeles 1850-1887 and Those Abraham Hoffman uses these materials co reach civic values, Powerful l'tars: The South Coast and Los Abe Hoffman has taught history at Taft righcs and responsibilities co students as Angeles 1887-1917. High School in Reseda since 1974 . In addi­ well as their reachers and parents. tion co teaching advanced placement and Angie also developed a popular Mary Catherine Hall honors courses in U.S. history and govern­ classroom program she shared at last ye~r ·s Mary Hall is a fifth grade reacher at ment, Abe has conducted workshops, served History Fair which uses photographs and Montemalaga Elementary School in Rancho on the state curriculum committee revising household anifacts co reach a very personal Palos Verdes. Mary has taught at the the 11th grade U.S. history course of study, kind of history. By using this program elementary level since receiving her served as a consultant on KCET's Los Angeles reachers help families learn their own bachelor's degree in 1966. She works History Project, and written a high school stories, engendering pride and fostering a energetically to inspire her students to level textbook on California hismry. He is sense of local history. become historians and has incorporated currently revising Advmtures in United States hisrory inco her core curriculum. Mary is a History, a series ofremedial U.S. history The H iscorical Sociery proudly joins model for other reachers, giving presentations booklets published by the Los Angeles the O 'Flaherry family in honoring chese and concinuing her own education in history. Unified School District in 1965. ourscanding reachers. GENTLE READER LOS ANGELES HISTORY: OLD VENUES- NEW VISTAS he secret is our-research and Transformed. His subject " World War II as writing about Los Angeles history an Agent of Change for Los Angeles" will T is alive and well and undergoing show how a world-wide war impacted L.A. an exciting transformation! The aim of this Following the opening presentation, 1996 History Conference is to investigate Merry Ovnick, author of Lcs Angeles: How would you evaluate a president who these recent interpretations and present the Beyond the RAinbow, will reveal how residen­ has a high tolerance for contradiction and best of the current research on the City of tial archicecrure provides clues co L.A.'s ambiguity, who has struggled over the Angels. hiscory. appointments and dismissals, who cuts This is the first of several conferences Next, Steve Loza, author of Barrio deals, wastes time and who takes planned for historians, teachers and the Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Lcs general public which will focus on the Angeles will demonstrate how music serves forever to make up his mind? larger theme of as an introduction co ethnic groups in L.A. How would you rate a president whose Gloria Lothrop, author of Lcs Angeles "LOS ANGELES: personality and character is a mix of Profiles: A Tribute to the Ethnic Diversity of THE ESSENCE OF A COMMUNITY." ambition and passivity, who can be both L.A. and Jim Allen coauthor of An Atlas of awkward and very poised, who has HSSC is pleased co join with the Population Patter11s in Metropolitan Lcs Angeles and Orange Counties, team up co discuss outwitted the more sophisticated Autry Museum of Western Heritage, California State University, Northridge, demographic and ethnic changes in L.A.'s politicians yet has been thwarted and Los Angeles County Office of Education history. villified during most of his presidency? and the Southern California Social Science Two panels-one chaired by Michael Would you take time and pay money to see Association co present these insights into Engh, SJ. and the ocher by Matthew an exhibit about his life? "No," you say, the 200-year history of Los Angeles. Roth-will review recent research in L.A.'s history. Serving on the panels are the young "he obviously was a failure or near-failure With exciting presentations, discus­ sions, resource packets and door prizes, historians doing the research: Miraslava as president. '' It sounds that way, yet this promises co be a rewarding day spent Chavez, William Deverell, Alicia others thought differently as they lined up with history. Rodriguez, Tom Sitton and David Yoo. in record numbers last year to view the Kicking off the conference is keynote Please join us at the Autry on Lincoln exhibit at The Huntington. speaker Arthur Verge, author of Paradise January 20. "Wait," you ask, "what does Lincoln have to do with the man described above?" He is that man! This is the complex portrait of 1996 FELLOWS ANNOUNCED Lincoln painted by prize-winning historian David Donald in his recently-published he FELLOWS Award, inaugurated Past FELLOWS include: in 1988, is che flagship ofHSSC's biography of the man we generally Nancy Banning Call consider to have been the greatest T awards programs and the highest honor the Society bestows. Glen D awson of the American presidents. The 1996 FELLOWS are: JANE Neal Harlow The lesson here is that the judgment APOS10L, the historian of the Arroyo; Robert V. Hine of history is not always the same as ARTHUR H. CLARK JR., the publisher as John Kemble• contemporary opinion. Over time, the hiscorian; NORRIS HUNDLEY JR., the perspective provided by careful research historian as scholar and editor; GLORIA David Lavender RICCI LOTHROP, the historian as scholar and critical scholarship enters our Richard Lillard• and civic professional; and ROBERT Miriam Matthews collective memory and allows us to see SKafHEIM, the historian as culruralleader. individuals differently than did Be sure co save March 21 for a gala Esther M cCoy• their contemporaries. evening at the Huntington Library's Friends' Doyce B. Nunis Jr. The value here is that history as shared Hall when the FELLOWS medallions will JosephS. O'Flaherty• be presented co these five individuals who memory (not selected memory) tempers Lawrence Clark Powell have sharpened our sense of place and per­ our rush to judgment, makes us wiser in sonal identity as Southern Californians. Martin Ridge our public choices-and, in the view of Each guest attending the Gala will Ward R itchie Thomas Jefferson, remains the only way receive a special keepsake celebrating Andrew Rolle for a free people to look to the future. HSSC's honoring of its 25th FELLOW. Florence C. Shipek Plan to meet and mingle with past and present FELLOWS on the patio and enjoy Julius Shulman the sounds of a string quartet. Watch for Irvi ng Stone• the next newsletter for profiles of the 1996 Jean Stone FELLOWS and for details about the March 21 Gala. Francis J. Weber •Deceased l><>OP? SPANISH GOVERNMENT HONORS DOYCE NUNIS a private reception on Sunday, ccober 8, 1995, the onorable Victor Ibanez Martin, Consul General of Spain in Los Angeles presented the Order of Isabella the Catholic to Doyce Nunis in recogni­ tion of his distinguished contributions in promoting the scholarship of California's Spanish heritage through publication. The Orden de Isabel Ia Catolica is Christine Shirley Spain's highest ranking Order of Merit. Previous HSSC members honored with this award include Msgr. Francis]. Weber, Meet Director Harry Kelsey and Maynard Geiger, O.F.M. An even earlier recipient was Charles F. Christine Shirley Lummis. ven though Christine Shirley DoyceNunis graduated from Stanford cum laude Ewith a degree in economics, history is the subject she has pursued in both her professional and private life. After receiving a general secondary teaching credential, Christine caught U.S. history ac Los Angeles High School for ll years, eventually serving as department chairman. In 1971, she earned a master in arts HSSC degree from UCLA and soon generously volunteered her talents ac the Banning PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE MEMBERS Residence Museum. There, Christine initiated an interpretive program, beginning with Sandra J Burton Louise O'Fiaherty the development of a curriculum for docent Christopher & Thomas P. Carson Barbara & john Osborne training. Her involvement was many-fold. Siegfried G. Demke Stephen A. Kanter From producing a docent manual, co giving lectures; from designing an examination co George A.V. Dunning Christine & William Shirley contributing a monthly article for the docent Billie & Powell Greenland Esther & Morgan Sinc/aire newsletter, Christine gave of herself whole­ janice & George La Moree Margaret Ann Storkan heartedly.