Week 5

Oh, technology.  In a time when smart phones and iPads are seemingly everywhere, it is easy to forget about some of the bigger, bulkier devices that existed not too long ago.  This week, I found a collection of microfiches that had to be read using a microfilm reader.

This machine was considered high tech when it was first purchased by the foundation, probably about 20 years ago.  Having never read microfiches before, I had to learn how to use a different type of technology that I hadn't encountered before.  The microfilm reader turned out to be pretty easy to use, and the microfiches that I found in the office turned out to have a lot of valuable information.  So, old technology can still come in handy!

Some of the information i found in the several boxes of microfiches in the office included the earliest board meeting minutes and detailed information on the first grants to be given by the foundation.  The board minutes included personal opinions of the board members on the purpose of the foundation, and what types of projects should be funded.  This was especially interesting to me because, up until this point, a lot of the research I had done had been focused on the legal details of the sale of Henrotin Hospital.  Learning more about the feelings of the individuals directly involved in the activities of the foundation provided a new aspect to the foundation's history.

While some of the original board members wanted to wait a few years before giving grants out, in order to save money and learn more about the public health needs in Chicago, other board members had specific ideas in mind in terms of which types of projects to fund.  Several of the board members wanted to focus on giving grants for medical education.  Others wanted the grants to focus on capital equipment for Henrotin Hospital (which still existed at this point).

I still have a lot more of the microfiches to get through, but I'm excited to see what other information I can find from them!