Letter from the 1999 Nominating Committee

Dear AHA Members:

In my capacity as the chair of the 1999 Nominating Committee I wish to encourage you to recommend poten­tial candidates—including yourself—for president-elect, Council, divisions, and committees of our organization.

All of us on the Nominating Committee welcome and seriously consider every rec­ommendation we receive from the mem­bership. The nominating process is open, and all the names of candidates submitted by friends, by colleagues, or by themselves are carefully assessed by the committee when it meets in February; no one has an inside track. Your participation is espe­cially important because the committee is charged with the creation of a slate of indi­viduals who represent both professional excellence and the many different mem­bership constituencies of the AHA. We aim for balance among the numerous areas—including fields of research, types of institutions, regions of the country, gen­der, race, career development, and expert­ise suited to the work of the committees and offices. The nine-member Nominating Committee cannot possibly have in-depth knowledge of every constituency, so please contact me or any of the other members if you notice an area that is underrepresented.

In making your nominations, keep in mind the following points as you consider the list of present officers and open positions:

1. All candidates for office must be mem­bers of the Association.
2. The committee rotates the nomination of the president-elect among specialists in the histories of Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the United States, and the rest of the world. We ask your assistance this year in identifying candidates who specialize either in Europe or a field other than the United States or Europe.
3. We normally seek candidates whose fields will not already be represented on a specific committee when the new term begins. (See October Perspectives, p. 7-8, for list of current officers and fields.)
4. We also seek candidates whose institu­tions will not already be represented on any of the committees when the new term begins. Therefore, potential candidates should not be currently employed at the following institutions: Arizona State Univ.; Univ. of California at Berkeley; Univ. of California at Davis; California State Univ. at Dominguez Hills; Columbia Univ.; El Camino Community Coll.; Florida State Univ.; Howard Univ.; New York Univ.; Newberry Library; Ohio State Univ.; Omohundro Inst. of Early American History and Culture, Coll. of William and Mary; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Princeton Univ.; Rice Univ.; San Diego Mesa Coll.; Seton Hall Univ.; Smith Coll.; Texas Southern Univ.; Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; William Paterson Univ.

During this period when the historical profession is being challenged by a multi­tude of complex issues—the job market crisis, political criticism of curricula and museum exhibitions, attacks on tenure, and a movement for national standards for the teaching of history—it is  important that the AHA remain a strong, responsive organization. You can help by forwarding your nominations for consideration by the Nominating Committee, along with a short vitae (one to five pages), to Sharon K. Tune, Assistant Director, AHA, 400 A St., SE, Washington, DC 20003-3889.