[SIGCIS-Members] SIGCIS Mahoney Fund -- Annual Appeal

[Thomas Haigh]

Hello everyone,

 

I am writing to draw your attention to the SIGCIS Mahoney Fund. The Mahoney
fund named in honor of the late Michael S. Mahoney of Princeton University,
a major scholarly influence on the development of the history of computing
and keen participant in SIGCIS activities. Income from the fund is
anticipated to support the SIG's activities, particularly our program of
travel grants for graduate students. 

 

We launched this initiative about a year ago, with an informal message to
this list. We were very pleased with the response - at present we have at
least $3,000 in hand from that appeal and another $3,000 or so in pledges
for future years. (This does not include our operating account which has a
surplus of around $1,600 or the money pledged to support the Computer
History Museum prize). Given the economic situation last autumn, and the low
key nature of our appeal, this was really an excellent result and we hope to
build on it as the world inches back towards prosperity.

 

In recent years the SIG's activities have expanded dramatically to include
an annual full day workshop held in conjunction with the SHOT conference, a
program of travel grants for graduate students, an annual prize for an
outstanding book in the history of computing (the Computer History Museum
Prize) and a variety of online initiatives including a resource guide,
syllabus repository, and member directory. This year we organized two paper
sessions for the main SHOT meeting and seven sessions, including a plenary
session devoted to discussion of Mahoney's work, at our inaugural workshop
"Mike Mahoney and the Histories of Computing(s)." While we did not
ultimately have to draw on the fund to support our costs for the workshop,
knowing we had a financial reserve available was important in giving us the
confidence to begin planning this event.

 

Donations can be made online. Please visit http://www.sigcis.org/?q=mahoney
to learn more about Michael Mahoney and the Mahoney fund, including
recognition of existing contributors. SIGCIS is particular grateful to Ann
Johnson, whose pledge of $500 a year for five years triggered the
establishment of the fund, and to Len Shustek who made a donation of $1,000
last year. 

 

We hope to reach a balance of at least $10,000 within two years time, which
will provide a meaningful reserve and generate an appreciable amount of
annual income. In turn this will give the SIG the capability to undertake
larger projects.

 

If you are able to make a donation online, please follow the online
instruction carefully, including a separate notification of your intention
to secretary at sigcis.org. SHOT is relying on a rather convoluted mechanism to
process the transactions, and this will allow us to follow up and make sure
that your donation finds its way to the appropriate SIGCIS account rather
than being absorbed into SHOT's general revenues. Donations may also be made
by check - contact us for details.

 

Have a good weekend, and happy thanksgiving next week to those of you in the
US.

 

Tom

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