LETTERS
…the Magazine’s constant air of self-congratulation…

ADDING TO THE LOCAL SYLLABUS
Re: the syllabus described in “Course Work,” December/03. Instead of treating the fairly recent past of Hyde Park and urban renewal as ancient history largely to be found in newspapers, it would seem to have been more rewarding to interview people who were there “at the creation” of both the need and the results.

In addition, I saw no mention of the Regenstein’s Special Collections papers of President Lawrence Kimpton;, Julian Levi, PhB’29, JD’31; Jack Meltzer, AM’47; and my mother, Ursula B.Stone, PhD’29—all of whom took the responsibility for making it possible for the University of Chicago to stay in Hyde Park when other institutions throughout the city were hightailing it for the suburbs. Their records clearly show that there was a physical limit to how large a territory could be helped at that time.

Current attitudes about the neighborhoods to the north and south do not take those circumstances into account. This amounts to reading today’s concerns into the past—a very dubious historical approach.

Maryal Stone Dale, AM’57
Chicago

The University of Chicago Magazine welcomes letters on its contents or on topics related to the University of Chicago. Letters for publication must be signed and may be edited for space and clarity. To ensure the widest possible range of views and voices, we ask readers to limit their correspondence to 300 words or less.

Please send letters to: Editor, University of Chicago Magazine, 5801 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637. E-mail: uchicago-magazine@uchicago.edu.