The 117th annual meeting of the Association will be held in Chicago at the Hilton Chicago and Palmer House Hilton. The meeting preregistration form can be found by logging onto our Members log-on page, and the hotel reservations are made through One-Stop Chicago. Both can be accessed from our Annual Meeting page.

The Program of the Annual Meeting will be mailed to members during the second week of October, and will also contain copies of the meeting preregistration and housing forms.

Many of the profession's most distinguished members will be present to deliver papers and more than 900 scholars, including 77 foreign scholars, will participate in the four-day meeting. In addition, nearly 50 specialized societies will meet in conjunction with the AHA. Each society will hold its own sessions, luncheons, and meetings, as well as some joint sessions with the Association. Lynn Hunt of the University of California at Los Angeles will deliver the presidential address the evening of January 3. The presidential address will be preceded by the conferral of the AHA's book prizes, the Awards for Scholarly Distinction, the Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award, the Beveridge Family Teaching Prize, the Gutenberg-e Awards, the John E. O'Connor Film Award, the Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award, and the announcement of the 2002 Honorary Foreign Members.

Accommodations

AHA annual meeting sessions as well as affiliated society sessions and events are scheduled in the Hilton Chicago and the Palmer House Hilton located in downtown Chicago. The Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue, will serve as headquarters and will house the AHA book exhibits, the Job Register, and AHA and affiliate sessions. The Palmer House Hilton, 17 East Monroe Street, will serve as co-headquarters and will accommodate AHA sessions and affiliate events. The Sheraton Chicago, 301 East North Water Street, will provide additional accommodations for attendees.

Negotiated rates at all hotels are $99 single and $109 double, with an additional person charge of $20. The Palmer House Hilton has 75 studio singles (with a double bed instead of the usual king or two double beds) for $74 per night, particularly attractive for attendees with limited budgets. All rooms are subject to city and state occupancy taxes of 14.9 percent per room, per night. These rates will be in effect three days before and three after the meeting dates (that is, from December 30, 2002, through January 8, 2003) and are for a limited number of rooms only at each property.

Making a Hotel Reservation: Beginning September 3, 2002, hotel reservations must be made exclusively with One-Stop Chicago, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau's exclusive housing vendor, based in Deerfield, Illinois. Requests for reservations will be accepted by One-Stop Chicago via the Internet (through a special link on the AHA annual meeting web page, http://www.historians.org/annual/, which will take the user to the One-Stop Chicago's online services for the AHA meeting, as the AHA itself cannot process any reservations); the call center; fax; or mail (only if accompanied by a check deposit) through December 8, 2002.

One-Stop Chicago's call center (toll-free, 800.424.5248) will accept reservation requests from the United States and Canada between the hours 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday. International callers may call 847.940.2152 to make reservations during normal business hours. Phone reservations are limited to five per call—requests for more than five must be submitted in writing.

Faxes from the United States and Canada may be sent 24 hours a day, seven days a week to 800.521.6017, but will be processed only during normal business hours. International attendees may fax to 847.940.2386.

Suite reservations can be made by any of the methods noted above.

Reservation requests can be sent by mail only if payments are made by check, and should be sent to AHA/One-Stop Chicago, 108 Wilmot Road, 4th Floor, P.O. Box 825, Deerfield, IL 60015-0825. The checks should be made payable to One-Stop Chicago, in U.S. funds, drawn on a U.S. bank.

Confirmation: A confirmation message will be sent by the housing bureau for all new reservations, modifications, and cancellations. The bureau will send out confirmations by mail, fax, or e-mail within 72 hours after processing reservations. Room reservations made by phone are confirmed immediately with a confirmation number. Please note that the individual hotels will not send out a separate confirmation.

Deposit: A deposit is required for all reservations. For standard room reservations, the deposit is $125 per room. The deposit for a one-bedroom suite is $250 and $375 for a two-bedroom suite. Deposits can be paid by credit card or by check. If payment is to be by check, a check made payable to One-Stop Chicago, in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank, must accompany the housing request form. If payment is to be by credit card, the card will be billed immediately. One-Stop Chicago accepts American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and Diner's Club. The bureau does not accept money orders, wire transfers, or invoices for room deposits. Please note that reservations will not be processed without a deposit.

Cutoff Date: The cutoff date for the AHA's official block is December 8, 2002. After this date, remaining inventory in the block will be released and rooms will be available on a space-available basis. All three hotels will continue to honor the AHA's convention rates based upon space availability. If all hotels sell out, the AHA will work with the bureau to secure additional hotel rooms.

Changes, Cancellations, and Refunds: Meeting attendees can make and modify (depending on availability) or cancel reservations from September 3 through December 16, 2002, through One-Stop Chicago by telephone, fax, in writing, or through e-mail. Attendees will not be penalized for any cancellation made before December 8. Cancellations processed prior to the cutoff date will be refunded through the same method of payment by which the attendee originally paid the deposit.

After December 16, attendees who wish to cancel must contact the hotel directly. Reservations canceled after December 8 but prior to 72 hours of arrival will be subject to a $14 processing fee.

Reservations canceled within 72 hours of arrival date are subject to forfeiture of the entire amount of the deposit.

Travel Arrangements

Association Travel Concepts (ATC) is the official travel agency for the annual meeting. As such, ATC has negotiated discounts with United Airlines, Amtrak, Alamo, and Avis to bring you special air, rail, and car rental rates that are lower than those available to the public. To take advantage of these rates and benefits, contact ATC at 800.458.9383; fax 858.581.3988; or e-mail reservations@atcmeetings.com. You can also link to ATC through the AHA's web site, http://www.historians.org/annual. ATC is available for reservations from 9:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday.

Airfares: By calling ATC, you will save 10 to 15 percent off on United (ID #510CK) tickets purchased more than 60 days prior to the meeting. For tickets purchased less than 60 days prior, the discounts will be 5 to 10 percent off of the lowest available fares. Some restrictions may apply. Discounts apply for travel Monday, December 30, 2002, through Wednesday, January 8, 2003.

ATC will also search for the lowest available fare on any airline serving O'Hare International and Midway Airports. ATC also provides personalized service, advance seat assignments, special meal requests, frequent flier programs, electronic ticketing, e-mail access for convenient booking of your tickets, and more.

Train fares: To make a reservation on Amtrak, call 800.872.7245 or contact ATC at 800.458.9383. Make sure you refer to fare order number X32X–949 when making your booking; discount fares are available December 30, 2002, through January 8, 2003. The offer is not valid on Auto Train, Club, or Custom Class service.

Car rental: You can also arrange to rent a car through Alamo or Avis, with discounted rates effective from December 30, 2002, through January 8, 2003. Contact Alamo at 800.732.3232, noting ID # 72620 GR, or Avis at 800.331.1600, noting ID #J992152. You can also call ATC at 800.458.9383.

Ground Transportation

From Airports:

Chicago O'Hare International Airport is located 20 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and has three domestic terminal buildings and one international facility. All terminals are linked on the upper level to allow passengers quick and easy access to the Airport Transit System (ATS). The ATS is a free, 24-hour rail system operating between the domestic and international terminals, long-term parking, and the Metra station.

O'Hare Airport is served directly by taxi, rail, shared-ride van, and bus. Taxicabs are located on the lower level curbfront at all terminals and are available from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. A ride from the airport to the hotels takes approximately 30 minutes and costs between $35 and $40, depending on traffic. A shared-ride program permits up to four people not traveling together to share a cab from the airport for a flat fee of $15 per person. Conveniently located at the lowest level of the Main Parking Garage, the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Blue Line travels between O'Hare and downtown Chicago. The station can be reached from Terminals 1, 2, and 3 by pedestrian tunnels. The fare is $1.50 and travel time is 45 minutes to downtown Chicago. Trains leave from outside terminals on the lower level every 5 to 10 minutes, days and evening, and every 30 minutes from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Continental Airport Express provides van service between O'Hare and all downtown hotels with shuttles leaving O'Hare every 5 to 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. Tickets cost approximately $17.50 one way. Tickets may be purchased at the kiosk outside of the International Terminal and at the lower levels of Terminals 1, 2, and 3 at the counters across from baggage claim. Omega Airport Shuttle is convenient and inexpensive for traveling between O'Hare and Midway Airports. The fare is $17, with shuttles traveling from O'Hare's international terminal to Midway from 7:00 a.m. through 11:45 p.m. every hour.

Midway Airport is located 10 miles from downtown Chicago and is served by 11 carriers from major U.S. cities. A new terminal building—with expanded ticket counters and baggage claim areas—opened in March 2001. The main lobby area at the center entrance of the airport is where the information booth and all vehicle pickup services are available. Taxis and shuttle services are available on the lower level of the three-level terminal building. A ride from Midway to the downtown hotels takes between 20 and 30 minutes and costs between $25 and $30, depending on the time of day. Chicago Transit Authority offers rapid transit between Midway and downtown Chicago on the CTA's Orange Line. Trains leave from a station connected to the east side of the airport and take 20 to 30 minutes. The fare is $1.50. Continental's Airport Express also provides transportation to downtown hotels. Vans depart Midway every 15 to 20 minutes between 6 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. An information counter is located opposite the Southwest Airlines ticket counter and pickup is in front of the terminal building. The trip to downtown hotels takes 30 minutes and a one-way ticket is approximately $15. Omega Airport Shuttle offers hourly service between O'Hare and Midway Airports from 7 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Passengers should allow at least 1 hour for travel time between the airports. Exact times and locations are available in printed schedules located in information booths at each airport. Pickup at Midway is located at door M1 with the one-way fare set at $17.

From the Amtrak Station:

Chicago is known as the "hub" of all Amtrak transportation with 50 trains arriving or departing daily. The main station is Union Station at 210 South Canal Street. Cabs, the suggested means of transportation to the hotels, are available on the lower level of the station at Adams and Canal Streets. A taxi ride from Union Station to any of the hotels runs between 10 and 20 minutes and costs approximately $5 to $10.

General Information

Group Meetings and Reunions: Societies and groups that have not already made arrangements to hold sessions or other meetings should send their requests for room space as soon as possible to Sharon K. Tune, AHA convention director ( fax: 202.544.8307). Please specify preferred date, inclusive hours, attendance forecast, and any special equipment desired.

Business meeting: Resolutions for the business meeting signed by 25 members of the Association will be accepted until December 15; those received by October 15 will take precedence and will be published in the December Perspectives and must be no more than 300 words in length. Resolutions should be sent to the executive director at the AHA office, with a copy to the parliamentarian, Michael Les Benedict, 106 Dulles Hall, Ohio State University, 230 W. 17th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210.

At its May 15–16, 1980, meeting, the Council adopted the following bylaw, as amended May 9, 1994, pursuant to Article VII, Sections 1–5, of the constitution: No motion, resolution, or other business shall be passed by a division of the members at the annual business meeting unless there is present a quorum of one hundred members in good standing.

Location of Offices and Events: AHA sessions will be held at the Hilton Chicago and Palmer House Hilton. The Local Arrangements Committee office will be in the Hilton's PDR 5, the press office in PDR 6, and the AHA headquarters office in PDR 7, all located on the third floor. The Job Register will be located in the Hilton's Southwest and Southeast Exhibit Halls. Registration desks and meal ticket cashiers will be in the Hilton's Northeast Exhibit Hall. The Book Exhibits will occupy the Hilton's Northwest and Northeast Exhibit Halls. The Messaging Center will be in the Hilton's Southeast Exhibit Hall.

AHA Registration

Advance Registration: Intending participants are urged to preregister at the reduced rate of $75 (nonmembers $95; student members and unemployed $45; student nonmembers $55; precollegiate teachers $20). The preregistration form is on page 44 and will also be enclosed in the Program mailed to members in early October. Advance registration must be received by Wednesday, December 4. Online registration will be available from mid-September.

Registration at the Meeting: The registration desks at the annual meeting, located in the Northeast Exhibit Hall of the Hilton, will be open from noon to 7:00 p.m. on January 2; from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on January 3, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on January 4. Fees for registering at the meeting site will be $90 for members and $110 for nonmembers; $50 for student members and unemployed; $60 for students who are not members; and $25 for precollegiate teachers.

Admission to all sessions, exhibits, and the Job Register requires a registration badge.

Refund Policy: Advance registrants who are unable to attend the convention may request a full refund of their registration fee if a written request accompanied by the meeting badge is postmarked by/on December 20, 2002. No refunds will be issued for requests postmarked after December 20, 2002.

Exhibit Hall

The exhibits will be located in the Hilton's Northwest and Northeast Exhibit Halls and will be open January 2 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., January 3 and 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on January 5 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Job Register

The Job Register will be located in Hilton's Southwest and Southeast Exhibit Halls. Hours of operation will be January 2 from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m., January 3 and 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and January 5 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Message Center

The Message Center, which will facilitate electronic communication among attendees and also make finding them easier, will be located in the Hilton's Southeast Exhibit Hall.

—Sharon K. Tune is convention director for the AHA.