2011 ANNUAL REPORT - Chicago History Museum

2011 ANNUAL REPORT
Chair’s Message
Over the past few years, the trustees and staff of the
Chicago History Museum have been creating and
implementing an ambitious strategic plan. Our goal is
to help our audiences make meaningful and personal
connections to the city and its history.
Our activities show a passion for achieving this goal.
This past year saw the debut of the re-envisioned
American history gallery, Facing Freedom, two
installations with a Civil War theme: Lincoln’s
Chicago and Lincoln the President, as well as the
opening of the groundbreaking Out in Chicago, an
exploration of the city’s LGBT history. In the spring,
we hosted an array of programs exploring one of
our visitors’ favorite history topics—the Prohibition
era in Chicago.
Thank you to our Museum’s world-class professional
staff and terrific volunteers, for always showing
their passion for history and Chicago. Last year,
they hosted more than 700 school groups, and
the Research Center assisted more than 10,000
researchers. This was also a breakthrough year for
the Museum’s social media presence. Staff members
regularly blog about an array of subjects, such as the
1919 Black Sox scandal, a story that was picked up
by the national media and highlighted the Museum’s
importance on a wider scale. We maintain a lively
Facebook presence and regularly tweet to faithful
followers. Our E-News reaches over 20,000 people.
None of this would be possible without the
leadership of our committed Board of Trustees and
the support of our generous donors. I thank you all
for your own passion for history during this eventful
and productive year.
Sharon Gist Gilliam
Chair
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