Kessler-Harris, Alice

English

DigitalCommons@URI

University of Rhode IslandDigitalCommons@URIIannone, Carol: Letters Opposing Nomination of(1991)Education: National Endowment for the Arts andHumanities, Subject Files I (1973-1996)1991Iannone, Carol: Letters Opposing Nomination of(1991): Correspondence 56Alice Kessler-HarrisFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_I_33This Correspondence is brought to you for free and open access by the Education: National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, Subject Files I(1973-1996) at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Iannone, Carol: Letters Opposing Nomination of (1991) by anauthorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@etal.uri.edu.Recommended CitationKessler-Harris, Alice, "Iannone, Carol: Letters Opposing Nomination of (1991): Correspondence 56" (1991). Iannone, Carol: LettersOpposing Nomination of (1991). Paper 28.http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_I_33/28.._ . 2140 TALIAFERRO HALL. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK, MD U.S.A. 20742 e Phone 3011405-1364 April 14, 1991 The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Chairman, Committee on Labor and Human Resources United States Senate Washington, DC 20510-6300 Dear Senator Kennedy, I write on behalf of the Executive Committee of the American Studies Association with regard to the nomination of Carol Iannone to the Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities. I will send a copy of this letter to other members of your committee. On behalf of the ASA Executive Committee, I respectfully urge the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources to decline to recommend confirmation for Carol Iannone. I do so for reasons having to do with her lack of distinction as a scholar and with her limited experience as a member of the_ academic community. Chartered in 1951, the American Studies Association has approximately 4000 members. They come from many fields, including history, literature, religion, art, philosophy, music, folklore and museum studies. They include persons concerned with American culture who approach the subject from many directions but have in common the desire to view the United States as a whole rather than from the perspective of a single discipline. The ASA Executive Committee, elected by the membership, consists of distinguished scholars, with national reputations in the field of American Studies. The organization publishes the American Quarterly, a highly regarded scholarly journal that speaks to the interests of our members and beyond. As scholars, and as practitioners who work as m~seuffi directors, public officials and administrators, many members of the American Studies Association rely heavily on the National Endowment for the Humanities for essential support for our projects. We are concerned that the NEH maintain its carefully nurtured reputation for selecting and supporting the most distinguished scholarly and creative work. To do this we believe, members of the Council should, in the words of the enabling legislation, consist of iindividuals who "are recognised for their broad knowledge of, expertise in, or commitment to the humanities," and who have "established records of distinguished ':.1; ' ,' :}.:-\i~;·,: .. ,.· ... , .·:·' .. /'.\iZ1?~t.~g::'.~t~;~~:>·:i,,,:,::,:;" ~.<. i.t~'9't:"M1~t~.?'fm~t~:·~,,::'.·;··(-..:·:::;,·; :,1·.o.· ,,,,-~;: ,:: .. \~(·:,i-:''7:·~'r~7:~'113'.t:>:·:.'.,:,~/!-t~ir!5i.'.~~·1.i'?Hii~':f(;.~·.~.~~fMt~?,:;~f.~~S/i/l(.;:/t::~·;;tJt.::;.1~~'.'l..l:J..;};(it/J;.~:·..;;yF/'ti.~·{ip/;'i:i,":i>hfe~:Y.i~~t%~~j}~-'if.P.-llJ-~ ' .. service and scholarship or creativity." Carol Iannone possesses neither of these credentials. We have carefully examined Carol Iannone's curriculum vitae and find it lacking in those elements that commonly characterize distinction in the humanities. Every discipline within the humanities judges its practitioners by means of their contributions to original research or practice. Dr. Iannone's vitae not only contains no evidence of such publication, but it demonstrates a rather thin record of scholarship of any kind. Nothing in her record thus far suggests that Dr. Iannone has performed the kind of service or achieved the kind of eminence that would inspire confidence in her judgments. Carol Iannone's vitae also suggests a surprising lack of experience with the academic enterprise. Her peripheral position in academia, as a part-time lecturer, has freed her of responsibility for departmental decision making. Nor does the vitae indicate experience in other institutions that might compensate for this gap. Protected from the kind of seasoning that we should expect of any member of the NEH Council, Dr. Iannone's contributions as a Council member will necessarily be limited. It is possible that in future years; Carol Iannone may develop the professional reputation and the s-cholarly distinction desirable for a member of the NEH Council. Since those qualities are not present at the moment, to recommend her appointment will do a· disservice to the NEH and to the Council. We urge you to decline this nomination. Sincerely, Alice Kessler-Harris President-elect Professor of History, Rutgers University 

Iannone, Carol: Letters Opposing Nomination of (1991): Correspondence 56

https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1062&amp;context=pell_neh_I_33

Iannone, Carol: Letters Opposing Nomination of (1991): Correspondence 56

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@URI