The Gotham Center for New York City History
 

PETITION TO KEEP FORMER MAYOR GIULIANI'S OFFICIAL PAPERS PUBLIC

Former Mayor Giuliani, in an unprecedented and ill-advised action, has taken personal control of his official city papers. Under a contract worked out in the last days of his administration, Giuliani will have the right to block public access to any papers in which he deems he has a "private interest," unless Mayor Bloomberg renegotiates the agreement. Please consider joining me in signing on to the following petition, which will be delivered, with all names that have arrived that arrived byTuesday, February 5, 2002, to Mayor Bloomberg.

Mike Wallace, Director, Gotham Center for New York City History

We the UNDERSIGNED 1211 citizens endorse the attached New York Times editorial, and urge the city to arrange for the immediate return of all public documents to public custody.


City Papers Belong to the Public
New York Times Editorial, January 26, 2002

A week before he left office, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani quietly worked out a deal with New York City's records commissioner to move his papers to a private storage facility in Queens, where they now reside. This unprecedented and self-serving contract gives him the right to choose an archivist to catalog a roomful of city documents and to initially determine what is public and what is not. Mr. Giuliani's people have described this as an effort to help the city by financing and thus speeding up the archiving process. Not coincidentally, it will help Mr. Giuliani maintain control of his image and get quick access to material he needs to fulfill a $3 million book contract to write about his days as the city's mayor.

The idea of a high elected official controlling his own documents troubles many historians, archivists and journalists, harking back to the days when Richard Nixon left the White House with truckloads of papers and tapes. Mr. Giuliani left office under far different circumstances, but the former mayor has a long record of refusing to allow access to public documents concerning his administration. While the contract makes it clear that Mr. Giuliani cannot legally shred or delete documents without city approval, his own history does not breed confidence that his hand-picked archivists would err on the side of openness.

As it stands, most of the work will take place out of the city's reach, overseen by Mr. Giuliani's new nonprofit Center for Urban Affairs Inc. The city is supposed to have a say on how matters work at the Queens warehouse and what documents get shared with the public. But in reality, the overworked city archivists and the busy corporation counsel are not going to be able to spare the time to oversee the Giuliani staff's day-to-day activities.

While speed in organizing the papers may be important to Mr. Giuliani and his publishers, the top priority for the city is keeping all the material secure so that a complete record will eventually be available to historians. The Giuliani forces are supposed to come up with an archiving proposal by the end of next week, and the city's advisory board on archives plans to discuss this hijacking of documents at a meeting next month. Both occasions offer opportunities to make certain these papers are catalogued and controlled by someone whose first responsibility is to history, not to Mr. Giuliani.

If speed is Mr. Giuliani's concern, then he should be allowed to help underwrite the cataloguing so that archivists can do the job more quickly. But the original documents should be returned to the city's direct control first. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has defended the contract, must rethink his position. The mayor has the right to cancel the agreement within 90 days. He should do so unless Mr. Giuliani is willing to renegotiate.

© 2002 The New York Times Company

Cesar J. "Ayala," Ph.  City University of New York
Robert M. "Brill," Esq.  Law Offices of Robert M. Brill
Hon. James "Ecks," Ph.D  "City of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin"
Joseph A. "Giacalone," Ph.D.  St. John's University
Victor K. "Jordan," Associate Professor  The Riverside Church Archives
Claudia B. "Rutherford," Ph.D. 
A. La Barre "Starensier," Ph.D.  independent scholar
George A. "Thompson," Jr  "Bobst Library, New York University"
David L. "Zahm," Ph.D.  New-York Historical Society
Rosalyn Aaron 
Carl Abbott  Portland State University
Heather Abel 
David Abel 
Raymond A. Achroth S.J.  St. Peter's College
Fernando Acosta-Rodriguez  New York Public Library
Rohit T. Aggarwala  Columbia University
Erin Alberson 
Prof. Ammiel Alcalay  Queens College
Jeff Alexander  writer
Dr. and Mrs. Allan 
Nedda C. Allbray Ph.D  independent scholar
Everett Allgood  New York University Libraries
Mary Allman  high school history teacher
N. Allman  Concerned Citizen
Basem Aly 
Vassiliki Anderjaska 
Zora Anderson  tour guide
F. Michael Angelo  historian and archivist
Elean Apostolos  "Boston University, Rare Book and Manuscript Archives"
K. Anthony Appiah  "Pen American Center - Chair, Freedom to Write Committee"
ashton applewhite 
Susan Aprill  Brooklyn Public Library
Elizabeth Archer  Archivist
Anne Lombardo Ardolino  eastvillagepoetry.com
Anne Ardolino  eastvillagepoetry.com
Anna Arkin-Gallagher  Yale University
Christina Armas  Gotham Center
Chris Armstrong  Middle Tennessee State University Graduate Student
Joan Arnold  My Generation
Carl Arnold 
Heidi Aronin 
Jean Ashton  Columbia University
Barbara Austen  Connecticut State Library
Laurie Austin  Northeastern University History Graduate Student
Ariane Austin 
Rakefet Avramovitz 
Vivian Awner 
Aramis Ayala  teacher
D. Ayala 
Tamia Balckman 
Maurita Baldock  "New-York Historical Society, Mellon Project"
Melissa Baldock 
Trudi Baldwin  Columbia University
Alan Balicki  New-York Historical Society
Tammy Ballard  CAB
Jack Ballinger  Public Housing Spotlight
H. Arthur Bankoff  "Brooklyn College, CUNY"
Simeon Bankoff  Historic Districts Council
Elizabeth Banks 
Kevin S. Bankston  "American Civil Liberties Union, National Office"
Diana Banning  "City of Portland, Oregon - City Archivist"
Marion Banzhaf  "Director, Sonya Staff Foundation"
X. Theodore Barber 
Richard E. Barry 
Bruce Baskind  Brooklyn Technical H.S.
Elizabeth Bidwell Bates  New School
David Baumel  CUNY
Julia Bazar  GLBT Historical Society
Thomas Beckman  Historical Society of Delaware
Naomi Behrman  New School University
Susan Bellrose  Roosevelt Island Historical Society
Thomas Bender  New York University
Tom Bender  New York University
Joseph Benjamin 
Judith Berdy  The Roosevelt Island Historical Society
Lisanne Beretta 
Gunnar Berg  Archivist
Monica Berger  New York City Technical College
David Bergman  MAS
Kristin Berkvist 
Rebecca Berlant 
Ira Berlin  University of Maryland
John Berman  New York University
Adele Bernhard 
Rose Marie Bernier  "Graduate School of Planning, UPR"
Provirose Bernier  Attorney
Rachel Bernstein  New York University
Jennifer Bernstein  The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Editor
Simon Bertrang  Sustainability Works
Lex Bhagat 
Anna M. Bianchini  NYPL
Janet Bianchini  CGS
Robert L. Bien  "Robert L. Bien,AIA,Consulting Architect"
Michala Biondi  New York Public Library
William L. Bischoff 
Julian Bleecker 
Adrienne Fried Block 
Louis Blois 
John Bodnar  Indiana University
Michele Bogart  SUNY at Stony Brook
Elizabeth Bogen 
Claire Boise  CUNY
Pat Bonomi  New York University
Jeanne Bornstein  "New York Public Library - Research Coordinator, Exhibitions"
Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend  IUCN/CEESP/CMWG
Carmen Boullosa  Center for Scholars and Writers
Rachel Bowen  Georgetown University
Jeanne Bowlan  Rutgers University
Alexis L. Boylan  Rutgers University
Kevin Boyle  University of Massachusetts
Elizabeth Bradley  New York Public Library
Valerie Jo Bradley  Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association
Colin S. Brady 
Toby J. Brandt 
Dr. Mark E. Braun  SUNY-Cobleskill
Sally Brazil  The Frick Collection
Kathleen Brennan  Archival Consultant
Jeffrey Brewer  Hunter College
Steve Brier  CUNY Graduate Center
Dana Brill 
Alan Brinkley  Columbia University
Ray Bromley  State University of New York at Albany
Arlene Bronstein 
Donna Brooks  "Penguin Putnam, Inc"
Pamela Allen Brown  University of Connecticut - Assistant Professor of English
Marshall B. Brown 
Anne W. Brown  New York Marble Cemetery
Gareth Brown 
Gene Brown  freelance writer
Frederica Brown-Carter 
Alice Browne  New York Historical Society
Mia Bruch  Stanford University
Jeffrey A. Brune  "University of Washington, Seattle"
Charles Buchwald 
Brent Buell  CUNY
Lonnie Bunch  Chicago Historical Society
Judy Burg  "Archivist, working in Nottingham, England"
Margaret Burke 
Sarah Burnes 
Robert M. Burns  NORML
Edwin Burrows  "Brooklyn College, CUNY"
Ann Butler  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives
Caitlin Cahill  The Gradate Center
Victoria Cain  Columbia University
Mauro Calamandrei 
Jose Camacho  Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueħos
John M. Cammett 
Gwynedd Cannan  Trinity Church Archives
Katie Caperton  New York University - student
Christopher Capozzola  Middlebury College
Anthony Cappa 
Dom Caputo  lira tenants assoc.
Lisa Cardyn  Yale University
Barbara Caress  CCNY/CUNY
Roane Carey  The Nation magazine
Paula Carlo  Nassau Community College
Patrick Carmosino 
Bill Carroll  Riverdale Country School
Akiko Carver 
Yanira Castro 
David Cavalier 
John Celardo  Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York
Maryann Chach  Shubert Archive
John Chaneski 
Maria Chao 
Jason Chappell  CUNY Graduate Center - Student
Josh Chasin 
Noah Chasin  CUNY Graduate Center
Noah Chasin  CUNY Graduate Center
Colin Chellman 
Susan Chenelle 
Todd Cherches 
Marjorie Chester  East Hampton Star
Marjorie Chester  East Hampton Star
Margaret Chez 
Daniel Chilton 
Tina Chiu  "American Planning Association, New York Metro Chapter"
Joanne M. Cho  William Paterson University
Susan Chore  The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library
Genevieve Christy  Brookyln Kindergarten Society
Themis Chronopoulos  Brown University
Jelain Chubb  Missouri State Archives
Zeta Baird Chulik 
Alan Chwick  "Editor, Nassau County News Flash"
Bernadine Cidranes  New York University
Shannan Clark  Columbia University
David Clark  VID
Juliet Clark 
Sherman Clarke  New York University Libraries
Christopher Clay 
Maggie Clinton  New York University
Andrew Coe  Freelance Writer
David Cogswell 
Bruce Cohen 
Phyllis S. Cohen  Municipal Art Society
Alan Cohen 
Bruce Cohen  Worcester State College
Professor Lizabeth Cohen  Harvard University
Mitchel Cohen  Green Party of New York & Green Party USA
Alison Colby 
Theresa M. Collins  Rutgers University
Tonya Collins 
Thomas Connors  "National Public Broadcasting Archives, University of Maryland"
Judy Connorton  CCNY
Katie Connorton  Queen Resident
Martha Cooper  City Lore
Sandi E Cooper  "College of Staten Island , CUNY"
Barbara M. Cooper  Rutgers University - History
Joanna Corden  "Archivist based in London, England"
Rhio H. Coreli 
Elizabeth Cornell 
Cornelia Corson  "retired librarian, formerly at the Spence School"
Mimi Cortese 
Jonathan Coss  AXA Financial Archives
David Cote  "Writer, Time Out New York"
Mary Cotta 
Christine Crandall  "Archivist, American Jewish Archives"
Sarah Cranstoun  University of Pittsburgh
ellen crimmins 
Leigh Crizoe 
Jon Crow  Brooklyn Alliance of Neighborhood Gardens
William L. Crozier  Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
David Csontos  "Frances Goldin Literary Agency, Inc."
Julie Cunningham  "Graduate Center, CUNY"
Jane Tara Currie  Brooklyn Parents for Peace
Marcella M. Curry  Library of Virginia
William Cutler  Temple University
Dan Czitrom  Mount Holyoke College
Jeni Dahmus  The Juilliard School Archives
Meg Daniel  Jim Henson Foundation
Evan Daniel  United Federation of Teachers
Cynthia Danza 
Matthew Darby 
Jonathan A. Darby 
Liz Darharhansoff  "Darhansoff, Verrill, Feldman Literary Agents"
Jane Davenport  John Jay College
Edward Davenport  John Jay College
Donna L. Davey  New-York Historical Society
Adriana Davis  D-Squared Media
Howard Davis 
Marcie Davis 
Victoria A. Dawson 
Victoria de Grazia  Columbia University
Peter S. de Lopez  Humane Liberation Party
Susan DeCarava 
Camille Croce Dee  Consulting Archivist/Researcher
George Dehner  Northeastern University
Jose deJesus  Centrer for PuertoRican Studies/CUNY
Linda A. Delma 
George dePue  NY Metro Direct Action Network
Peter Derrick  historian
Michele Deutschman 
Scott Dexter  Brooklyn College/CUNY
Joseph P. Diaferia 
Lauren Diamond 
Shelley Diamond  JPMorgan Chase Archives
Morris Dickstein  Queens College and GSUC
John Diefenderfer  SUNY Albany student
Josh Diehl  Student
Walkiria Dilone  Centro For Puerto Rican Library and Archives
Hasia Diner  New York University
Eleanor Dionisio  New School University
Sasha Disko  New York University
Elsa Dixler  Social Science Research Council
Djordje Djordjevic  Parsons School of Design
Bill Dobbs  Queer Watch
Dr. Manuela Dobos  CUNY
Douglas Doe  RISD Archives
Will Doherty 
Teresa Doherty  "Archivist, London UK"
Stephen Dominguez 
Mary Donahue  Parsons School of Design and the School of Visual Arts
Mary S. Donovan  Hunter College History Department
Robert V. Doran 
Mark Doty  NYPL
Gregory K. Dreicer  Chicken&Egg Public Projects
Stewart Driller 
Amy L. Drum  Artichoke Dance Company
Shoshana Dubey 
Daniel Dubno  CBS News
Adam Dugas 
Barbara J. Dunlap  Grolier Club
Bryan Durr  D-Squared Media
Greg Dutko 
Martin Duus 
Cathy Dwyer  Pace University
Michael H. Ebner  Lake Forest College
Suzy Edelstein 
Joan Ehrlich 
Nora Eisenberg  City University of New York
David Ekbladh  Columbia University
Tanya Elder  Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York
Elisabeth H. Elkind  "Archivist, New York Public Library, Theatre Collection"
Michelle Elligott  "Museum Archivist, The Museum of Modern Art"
Osborn Elliott  Citizens Committee for New York City
Inger McCabe Elliott  "Citizens Committee for New York City, The Lively Arts"
Mark Elliott  New York University
Robert Elstein 
Ecegul Elterman 
Lala Endara 
Klaudia Englund  Thousand Oaks Library
Prof. Herbert Ershkowitz  Temple University - History Department
Nina Estreich  New-York Historical Society
Judith Etherton  "University Archivist, University of London, England"
Ron Evans 
Ann Evans 
Patricia Evans 
Firth Fabend 
Amy Fairchild  Columbia University
Angelo Falcon  Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund
David Fanning  "Student, New School Graduate Center, Historical Studies"
Paul Farber 
Sarah Farmer 
Michael D. Fein 
Marshall Feldman  The University of Rhode Island
Geniene Feldman  Green Party
Claudia Felix 
Justin Ferate  Tours of the City
Shani Ferguson 
James Ferguson 
Craig Ferguson.  "Archivist, Worcestershire Record Office, England."
Johanna Fernandez  Columbia University
Tirso Fernandez 
Teresa Feroli  Polytechnic University
Wendy Feuer  Consultant
E. Fialkova 
Peter I. Fifield  The Nation magazine
Christopher Finan  American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
Paula Finn  Queens College
David Fischer 
William T. Fischer 
George Fiske  Columbia University
Frances FitzGerald  Pen American Center - President
Jane B. Fitzpatrick  SUNY Librarian
Gordon Flett  VDLC
Benjamin Flowers  "University of Minnesota, Program in American Studies"
Mr. Dee Bobbie Flowers 
Maribeth Flynn 
Kimberly Flynn  New York Environmental Law Project
Martha Foley  American Bible Society
Eric Foner  Columbia University
Eric Foner  Columbia University
Jonathan Fontaine  New York Public Library
Lisa Ford  Columbia University
Robert Forloney  Museum of the CIty of New York
Paula Francesshelli 
Janice Frank  librarian
Stuart Frankel  Porcine Software
Robert H. Frazier  FreemanFrazier & Associates
Sharon Freedman 
J.R. Freund  professor
Edith F. Fried  Fortune Magazine
Adam Friedman 
Elizabeth Friedman  City University of New York
Martin Fromm  Columbia University
J. Fueser  Yale University
Margaret Fung  Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Michael Fuquay  Columbia University
Troy Fuss 
Vienna Fuzak  Graduate Center of the City University of New York
Ann W. Gaffney  "BHA, HDC, Fine Arts Fed"
Beverly Gage  Columbia University
Nora Gaines  Bank Street College of Education
Mary Nahon Galgan 
Gerald Galison  Harvard Club
Jean Gallagher  Polytechnic University
Stella de M.Aleman Gallardo  Personnel
Nora Galler 
Patricia Galloway  "Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Texas-Austin"
Ira Galtman  "President, Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York"
Herbert Gans  Columbia University
Bianca Garcia 
Ellen G. Garvey  New Jersey City University
Eileen Gatti  "John Jay College, CUNY"
Arthur Gatti 
Jennifer Gatti 
Edward Gaynor  University of Virginia Library
Brian Geary 
Marilyn Gelber 
Noah L. Gelfand  New York University
David Gellman  DePauw University
Jody L. Georgeson  Telecommunications History Group
Donald Gerardi  "Brooklyn College, CUNY"
Julian Gerena-Quinones  student
Gary Gerstle  University of Maryland
Joanna Ghiggeri 
Scott Gianelli  Columbia University
Thomas Gijswijt 
Carolyn Gil 
David Gilbert  Retired
Joseph Gilbert  Green Party
Gena J. Gilliam  Middle Tennessee State University
Sigrid Gilmer 
Sherine Gilmour 
Peter Ginna  Oxford University Press USA
Alan Ginsberg  Union Theological Seminary Archives
Fred J. Gitner  Queens Borough Public Library
Joanna A. Giuttari 
Lynne Glasner 
Stuart M. Glass  "Congregation Rodeph Sholom, Archivist"
Donald Glassman  Barnard College Archivist
Kathryn Gleason  "NYCTC, CUNY"
Roberta Gold  University of Washington - doctoral candidate
Frances Goldin  "Frances Goldin Literary Agency, Inc."
Brett Goldman 
Janet Goldner 
David Goldstein  "where.com, NY Inc."
Robert Goldwitz 
Evelyn Goodman 
Leonard A. Gordon  Columbia University
Marcy J. Gordon 
Arthur A. Goren  Columbia Univesity
Jude Gorjanc 
Betsy Gotbaum  Public Advocate
Erika Gottfried  Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Janet Gottlieb 
Jenny Gotwals  New-York Historical Society
Michael Governor 
Karene Grad  Yale University
Channell Graham  Staten Islander
Elizabeth Grant  University of Birmingham
Angela Graven  Pratt Institute
Matthew Graven  PC Magazine
Nicola Gray  "Professional Archivist & Records Manager based in London, England"
Michael Greenberg 
Lori Greenberg  MAS
David Greenberg  Columbia University
Stanley Greenberg 
Ronald J. Grele  Columbia University
Ron Grele  Columbia University
Mary Griffin  FIND/SVP
Julie Griffiths  Friend of the City
Jane Grimes 
Rebecca Grimwood  Green Party
Ray Grist 
Elizabeth Groden 
Jill Grossman  City Limits
Frank Gubasta 
Helen Marie Guditis  Broadway Theater Institute
Kenneth J. Guest  Baruch College
Jennifer Gunter  Virginia Tech - Digital Library and Archives
Owen Gutfreund  Barnard Collge
Marta Gutman  Berkeley Center for Working Families
Nell Gutman 
Linda Gutman 
Todd Gwinn  "Librarian, The New York Public Library"
Samantha Hack 
Jonathan Hagel  Brown University Department of History
Uraline Hager  Hunter College
Susannah Hagey 
Cathy Moran Hajo  New York University
Melissa Haley  New-York Historical Society
Clover Hall 
Mark H. Haller  "Temple University - History Department,"
Ann Hallowell 
Everett Halvorsen 
Joseph Hamel  New-York Historical Society
Gabrielle Hamilton  CTMD
Theodore Hamm  New York University
David C. Hammack  Case Western Reserve University
Ellen Hammond 
Chung Han 
Hugh Hardy  HHPA
Jan Hargreaves  Archivist working in the UK
Jean Harripersaud  Librarian
Rebecca Hartman  Rutgers University
Christa E. Hartmann 
Kate Hartnick  Hartnick Consulting
Elizabeth Harvey  Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York
Gabriel Haslip-Viera  "City College, CUNY"
Gerald Hassett 
Jo Hastings  Entrepreneur
Rebecca Hatcher  "Rakow Research Library, Corning Museum of Glass"
Carolisa Haviland 
Richard Haw  John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Ron Hayduk  "Borough of Manhattan Community College - Assistant Professor, Department of Social Scinece"
Alex Haynes  Columbia University
Kerthy F. Hearn 
Sally Heckel  New York City resident
Margaret Heilbrun  New-York Historical Society
Gunnar Hellekson 
Dr. Susan R. Henderson  Syracuse University
Keith Henson  ARSCC
Gerald Herman  Northeastern University - Dept. of History
Pedro Juan Hernandez 
Vivian Hernandez  Brown University
Rog Hernandez  Viva NYC
Prof. Julio Hernandez-Delgado  Hunter College
Michael Hertz 
Renee L. Hertz 
Marsha Vander Heyden 
Scott Heyl  Preservation League of NYS
Felix Hiciano 
Amanda B. Hickman 
Christopher Derhammer Hill 
Patricia Hills  Boston University
Michele Hiltzik  Rockefeller Archive Center
Michael Hirsch  writer
Peter Hirsch  New York Public Library
Doris Hirsch 
Graham Russell Hodges  Colgate University - Professor of History
Judy Hoffman 
Anthony S. Hoffmann 
Tracie Holder  The Papp Project
Michelle Holdt  PLAY Collective
Brett C. Holleman 
Clifton Hood  Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Joseph A. Hooper 
Marie E. Hooper  Oklahoma City University
Jonathan Hooper  TbPro
Ross Horowitz 
Shel Horowitz  amateur historian/NYC native
Deborah W. Houston  Theatre Professional
Paul Howard  Willamette University
Martha Howell  Columbia University
Ya-Hsuan Huang 
Patricia K. Hughes 
Brigid Hughes  The Paris Review
Arthur Huh 
Tarry Hum  Queens College
Andrew Hurley  University of Missouri--St. Louis
Rich Hutchins  MTSU
Ada Louise Huxtable 
Tom Hyry  Yale University
Jeffrey Hyson  St. Joseph's University
Dan Icolari  "St. George Civic Assn., Staten Island, N.Y. 10301"
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