Collection consists of photographic materials taken by Frank Espada, mostly images from the Puerto Rican Diaspora Documentary Project, which documents these communities across the Unites States. In addition, there are materials relating to his earlier work documenting civil rights activities and HIV/AIDS awareness, also in the United States during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
Scope and Contents:
Photographs and negatives taken by Frank Espada, mostly images from his most well-known body of work, The Puerto Rican Diaspora Documentary Project, which consists of several hundred prints and thousands of negatives of Puerto Rican communities across the Unites States. The purpose the project was to establish the national presence of Puerto Ricans in the United States, to celebrate Puerto Rican culture and Latinidad, and to make a political statement.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into five series.
Series 1: Puerto Rican Diaspora Documentary Project, 1962-2008, undated
Sub-Series 1.1: Photographic and Digital Prints, 1962-1986, undated
Sub-Series 1.2: Proofs, 1979-1986, undated
Sub-Series 1.3: Contact Sheets and Negatives, 1964-1987, undated
Sub-Series 1.4: Interviews, 1980-1982, undated
Sub-Series 1.5: Site Notebooks, 1981-1985, undated
Series 2: Civil Rights Era Materials, 1963-1974, undated
Sub-Series 2.1: Black and White Prints, 1963-1974, undated
Sub-Series 2.2: Proofs, Negatives, and Contact Sheets, 1963-1968
Sub-Series 2.3: Slides, 1969
Series 3: Personal Papers, 1966-2007, undated
Series 4: Out of School Youth (OSY) Project, 1989
Series 5: Youth Environment Study (YES) Project, 1989-1991
Biographical / Historical:
Francisco Luis Espada Roig, later known as Frank Espada, was born in Utuado, Puerto Rico in December 1930. He and his family migrated to New York City in 1939. He attended public school and after high school, briefly attended City College of New York. In 1949, he joined the Air Force.
In 1952 he married his wife, Marilyn. They had three children, Lisa, Jason, and Martin. Espada began working for an electrical contractor to provide for his family, a job he would hold for ten years.
There followed a second stint in the Air Force, during the Korean War, and then, in 1954, Espada began attending the New York Institute of Photography on the GI Bill. In the late 50s and early 1960s, influenced by mentors such as important New York-based photographers Dave Heath and the legendary W. Eugene Smith, Espada became intent on pursuing what he called his "first love," documentary photography, but this dream had to be delayed.
From the early 60s on, he became heavily involved in the New York community and the Civil Rights Movement, organizing voter registration drives, rent strikes, and marches for civil rights. He photographed many subjects in New York throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including the civil rights era. Because he was close to Puerto Rican activists and communities, he photographed these as well.
In the 1970s, he was a Ford Foundation Fellow working with the Drug Abuse Council. In 1979, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, he was finally able to receive income from photography. This fellowship allowed him to pursue his "life-long dream of shooting a major documentary" on the Puerto Rican diaspora. He documented Puerto Rican communities and the Puerto Rican experience around the United States, including Hawaii and Guam.
In 1985, Espada moved to San Francisco and was given the opportunity to teach at the UC Berkeley Extension Program. He discovered that he loved to teach, which resulted in what he referred to as "eighteen of the best years of my life," and he was revered by his students.
In 1989 he joined forces with the Youth Environment Studies (YES), documenting the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2005 he retired from teaching and continued working on his book, encompassing his documentation of Puerto Rican communities. The Puerto Rican Diaspora: Themes in the Survival of a People, reproducing many of his photographs with his incisive, poignant text was published in 2007, twenty-eight years after the Diaspora project had begun.
Frank Espada was an activist for justice and an important documentary photographer in the "socially conscious" tradition, who wrote: 'The purpose of showing my work is to get young people thinking, to stimulate their minds and hearts, to make conditions known, and to attack injustices wherever they exist."
In his later years, he turned to color photography and landscapes for personal artistic expression. He passed away in February of 2014 from a heart problem.
Materials at Other Organizations:
Duke University Libraries
Frank Espada papers and photographs, 1946-2010 and undated, bulk 1975-2010
The Frank Espada Papers and Photographs collection consists largely of photographic prints, contact sheets, proofs, and negatives, chiefly dating from the mid-1970s through 2010, relating to Espada's Puerto Rican Diaspora Documentary Project, his project work on indigenous Chamorro communities in Micronesia, primarily in Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, and his work documenting HIV/AIDS outreach and education in San Francisco. The largest body of materials, which includes photographs as well as manuscripts and recorded interviews, derives from Espada's work with the Puerto Rican communities which spanned several decades. A smaller group of materials, nineteen prints, associated contacts and negatives and several folders of documents, were created through Espada's activism in the Civil Rights Movement for voter registration and school desegregation in New York City from 1962-1970.
Other materials include research files on documentary topics he was currently investigating; materials used in preparation for his many photography project exhibits, large and small; teaching syllabi and notes from his photography courses; awards and memorabilia; and other manuscript and printed materials from his career in photography.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs
The Puerto Rican diaspora, between 1979 and 1981
83 photographic prints
Detroit Institute of Arts Research Library and Archives
[Frank Espada: artist file]
1 folder. Folder may contain clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, small exhibition catalogs, resumés, other ephemera.
Related Materials:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Collection was purchased from Frank Espada's son Jason Espada with funds from the Latino Initiatives Pool.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some ethnographic materials in this collection are restricted because participants did not sign release forms. Restricted materials are part of series 4 and housed in boxes 57 and 59. Material may not be accessed or used until 2064.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Frank Espada Photographs, circa 1962-2008, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Sponsor:
This collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, and the funds were used to purchase the collection from Jason Espada.
Mobilization Against AIDS. (San Francisco (CA)) Search this
Extent:
10.2 Cubic feet (32 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Oral history
Interviews
Date:
1901-2016
bulk 1995-1999
Summary:
John-Manuel Andriote interviewed numerous individuals involved in the AIDS crisis for his book, Victory Deferred: how AIDS changed gay life in America, this collection contains his interview tapes, transcripts, and materials related to the research, writing, and update of his book. It also contains interview transcripts for Andriote's later book, Stonewall Strong.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of interviews and research material collected by Andriote in researching his book, Victory Deferred: how AIDS changed gay life in America, published in 1999. Included are recorded and transcribed interviews Andriote conducted with activists, researchers, authors, and others involved in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The creator's original order and topic designations were maintained; span dates reflect the dates of the materials contained within the folder. All cassettes are ninety minutes in length unless otherwise noted. An addenda of interviews notebooks for interviews conducted in 2010 for the revised and updated version of Victory Deferred were added in 2021. Series four contains interview transcripts and master cd for interviews conducted for Andriote's Stonewall Strong published in 2017.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into three series.
Series 1, Audio Materials
Subseries 1, Original Interview Audio Cassettes, 1995-1997
Subseries 2, Transcripts of Interviews, 1993-1996, undated
Series 2, Victory Deferred Correspondence, Manuscript Drafts, Publication Material, and Writings, 1982-2008
Series 3, Research Notes and Collected Reference Materials, 1901-1998
Subseries 1, National AIDS Network (NAN), 1987-1990
Subseries 2, Publications, 1989-1997
Series 4, Stonewall Strong, interview transcripts and CD, 2015-2016, undated
Biographical / Historical:
John-Manuel Andriote writes in the preface to his book, Victory Deferred: how AIDS changed gay life in America, "I wrote Victory Deferred because, despite the abundance of books written about AIDS, no one until now has examined both the 'big picture' and its finer detail in considering the many ways AIDS affected the nation's hardest hit community, gay men." [1] To do this Andriote interviewed hundreds of persons involved in various aspects of the HIV/AIDS experience.
The University of Chicago Press catalog for 1999 describes the book this way: "John-Manuel Andriote chronicles the impact of the disease from the coming-out revelry of the 1970s to the post-AIDS gay community of the 1990s, showing how it has changed both individual lives and national organizations." [2]
[1] Andriote, John-Manuel, Victory Deferred: how AIDS changed gay life in America, page xi, Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press, 1999.
[2] "Spring Books 1999 The University of Chicago Press", pg. 2, Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 1999
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
Michio and Aveline Kushi Macro-Biotics Collection (AC0619)
The Shamrock Bar: Photographs and Interviews, 1997-2003 (AC0857
Division of Science, Medicine, and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection (AC1134)
Archives Center Weddings Documentation Collection, 1945-2008 (AC1131)
John-Manuel Andriote Hot Stuff: A Brief History of Disco Collection (AC1184)
Provenance:
This collection was donated by John-Manuel Andriote in 2008. Addenda donated in 2021.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must use reference copies of audiovisual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Viewing film portion of collection requires special aarrangement with Archives Center staff. Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but copyright held by donor. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
AC1128-0000001.tif (AC Scan No.: front of dust-jacket)
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must use reference copies of audiovisual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Viewing film portion of collection requires special aarrangement with Archives Center staff. Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but copyright held by donor. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Proverb 1 "He who upsets a thing should know how to rearrange it" (Sierra Leonean) -- Proverb 3 "The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people" (Ghanian) -- Proverb 4 "He who does not cultivate his field will die of hunger" (Guinean)-- Proverb 5 "When spider webs unite they can tie up a lion" (Ethiopian)-- and Proverb 6 "He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured" (Ethiopian proverb).
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains 5 signed posters designed by artist Damballah Dolphus Smith for the American Red Cross African American HIV-AIDS program.
Biographical / Historical:
As stated on the posters: "Damballah Dolphus Smtih, born in 1943 and educated in Philadelphia (Philadelphia College of Art) is a Washington, D.C.-based visual artist. His work has been presented in numberous solo and group exhbits, including the National Exhbition of Contembporary African American Art (as part of the National Black Arts Festival held every two years in Atlanta) and appears in the collections of the Afro-American Museum of History and Culture (Philadelphia), the U.S. Information Agency, The African American Scholars Council, and numbrous private collections. His works have been published in 'Black Artists on Art' (Lewis/Waddy), Art 'Papers' (Atlanta Art papers, Inc.), and 'Selected Essays: Art and Artists from the Harlem Renaissance to the 1980s' (National Blac Arts Festival, Inc.)
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Science, Medicine, and Society Search this
Extent:
3.5 Cubic feet (12 boxes, 3 oversized folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pamphlets
Leaflets
Correspondence
Advertisements
Place:
Lithuania
Date:
1979-2006
bulk 1987-1993
Summary:
This collection consists of pamphlets, books, and a wide variety of printed matter and ephemera relating to HIV/AIDS. The collection was principally assembled by National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution curator Ramunas Kondratas.
Scope and Contents:
The Division of Science, Medicine, and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection contains a large amount of printed material representing how HIV/AIDS was depicted in popular culture, in the medical sciences, by activist groups, and by government agencies principally during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Most of the collection consists of pamphlets, brochures, reports, and other educational material designed to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the general public.
This collection includes correspondence and conference proceedings related to the history of HIV/AIDS. The materials were collected by NMAH curator Ramunas "Ray" Kondratas, working together with the AIDS history group that was part of the American Association for the History of Medicine. A number of bibliographies and resource guides to literature related to HIV/AIDS are included in the collection. Geographically, the material is primarily from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the general United States, as well as Lithuania and London, also represented in the collection.
Arrangement:
The collection is organized into five series.
Series 1, Educational Material and Advertisements, 1984-2004
Subseries 1, American Red Cross, 1986-1993, undated
Subseries 2, Gay Men's Health Crisis, Incorporated, 1985-1994, undated
Subseries 3, New York State Health Department, 1984-1991, undated
Subseries 4, Government of the District of Columbia, 1990-1996, undated
Subseries 5, United States Department of Health and Human Services, 1984-1995, undated
Subseries 7, Various Organizations, 1984-2004, undated
Subseries 8, Posters, Newspapers, and Ephemera, 1986-1994, undated
Series 2, Reports, Commissions and Bibliographies, 1981-1999
Subseries 1, Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Epidemic, 1987-1989
Subseries 2, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1981-1999
Subseries 3, National Library of Medicine (NLM), 1986-1993
Subseries 4, Other Organizations, 1987-1988
Series 3, Ramunas Kondratas, Correspondence and Collected Materials, 1979-1994, undated
Series 4, AIDS/HIV Related Press Clippings and Periodicals, 1982-2006
Series 5, Audiovisual Material, 1988
Biographical / Historical:
The HIV/AIDS crisis that began in the 1980s is a defining event of the latter half of the 20th century. Once thought to be a disease affecting homosexual men only, the epidemic spread to the broader population of the United States and the world at large. The response to the epidemic came from many public and private organizations, some internationally known like the Red Cross and some at the local level such as the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C. Many organizations produced a variety of pamphlets, studies, and reports dealing with all aspects of the disease.
This collection consists of material collected by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Division of Science, Medicine, and Society. The bulk of the collection was assembled by curator Ramunas "Ray" Kondratas during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Provenance:
Received from Ramunas Kondratas, curator, Division of Science, Medicine, and Society.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Please ask staff to remove any staples before copying.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: reproduction fees may apply.
The World AIDS Institute (WAI) Collection contains correspondence and publicity material of the WAI as well as educational materials, pamphlets, publications, and ephemera collected by them, "to document and preserve the global history of AIDS."
Scope and Contents:
The World AIDS Institute Collection contains correspondence and publicity material of the WAI as well as their collection of educational material, pamphlets, publications, and ephemera.
This collection is arranged into five series.
Series 1, Correspondence, 2001, undated, contains correspondence related to WAI as well as the HIV and AIDS community. It includes correspondence between the White House and DECAIDS, a committee created to fund a proposed AIDS Museum. It also includes a copy of a 2001 letter from George W. Bush to the HIV and AIDS community that was published in Numedx.
Series 2, World AIDS Institute Publicity Materials, 2012, undated, contains materials generated by WAI in support of their mission. These include programs, fundraising materials, bookmarks, and a publicity brochure for the AIDS 2012 Reunion.
Series 3, Teaching Materials, 1987-1993, undated, contains material expressly developed to teach about HIV and AIDS, including teaching aids for junior high and high school from a variety of sources.
Series 4, Publications, 1986-1996
Series 5, Audiovisual, 1999
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged into five series.
Series 1, Correspondence, 2001, undated
Series 2, World AIDS Institute Publicity Materials, 2012, undated
Series 3, Teaching Materials, 1987-1993, undated
Series 4, Publications, 1986-1996
Series 5, Audiovisual, 1999
Biographical / Historical:
The World AIDS Institute (WAI) provides direction to AIDS organizations, assisting them in securing their own AIDS history. One of their core missions is preserving the history of the HIV and AIDS epidemic and the lives it has touched. The WAI motto is "Behind every statistic is a story."
From the WAI website: "The Mission of the World AIDS Institute is to document and preserve the global history of AIDS. As each day passes, establishing a comprehensive record of the fight against AIDS becomes more difficult, and more individual stories of personal devastation and triumphs of the human spirit are lost to us forever. The World AIDS Institute is dedicated to creating innovative projects designed to preserve that history. A substantial part of our commitment is to ensure the stories of those who led the fight against AIDS and the stories of those who we lost are never forgotten."
The World AIDS Institute (WAI) was founded by David Purdy and Chad Johnson. WAI's corporate entity, originally called the Friends of the AIDS Museum received it's 501(c)(3) status on June 5, 2001. WAI was re-launched on June 7, 2011--commemorating 30 years of AIDS (June 5, 1981 was the first government publication). Purdy, co-founder and chief executive officer dedicated over twenty years to educating about and destigmatizing AIDS. Purdy successfully fought his own battle with HIV while championing new science and technology protocols. During the 1980's Purdy led the global campaign to encourage the acceptance of anabolic steroids as treatment for the AIDS-Wasting Syndrome along with Dr. Walter Jekot, with a focus on hormone therapies using anabolic steroids. Hormone testing and treatment is now standard care for all patients living with HIV. Purdy also created the magazine NUMEDX covering nutrition, medicine, exercise and alternative therapies. The magazine circulated to more than a half a million subscribers worldwide.
Chad Johnson, co-founder, chief operating officer and general counsel of WAI during the past 22 years, worked in a variety of capacities, including work for not-for-profit, political, and legal organizations, to promote social justice. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Johnson served as a federal law clerk and later as an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLC. He served as co-chair of the board of directors of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN); acted as national general counsel for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and AIDS PAC. In the 1990s, he volunteered at the Legal Aid Society of D.C. and the Whitman-Walker Clinic, Washington D.C.. Johnson served as the deputy national director for business leader outreach and deputy national director for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues for the presidential campaign of Vice President Al Gore. He was the executive director of the national LGBT Democrats organization, National Stonewall Democrats.
Reference: WAI website, accessed February and March 2012
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
John Manuel Andriotte Victory Deferred Collection, 1901-2008, undated (AC1128)
Division of Science, Medicine, and Society, HIV and AIDS Reference Collection, 1979-2006, undated (AC1134)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Collection, 1942-2012, undated (AC1146)
Helping People with AIDS Records, 1989-2004, undated (AC1283)
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian, by the World AIDS Institute in February 2012.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research use. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with cotton gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Undated pamphlet by "Clinica Whitman-Walker" about HIV/AIDS. Blue cover with illustrations.
Local Numbers:
AC1134-0000025.tif (AC Scan No.: cover)
Exhibitions Note:
Displayed in Archives Center exhibition, "Archiving the History of an Epdemic: HIV and AIDS, 1985-2009," June 3, 2011-October 3, 2011. Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., curator.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Please ask staff to remove any staples before copying.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: reproduction fees may apply.
The records of Helping People with AIDS, a non-profit, charitable organization located in Rochester, New York that was active 1986-2003.
Scope and Contents:
These records were originally in the possession of Tim Tompkins, last chairman of the HPA Board and reflect primarily his years of involvement with HPA. Many of the HPA Records document the funding and adminstration of The Wish List project and fundraising for the organization during the time of his chairmanship. There is very little material covering the early days of the organization. Wish List files contain materials on finances, fundraisers, and the actual applications that persons would fill out to become a Wish List recipient. All information of a personal nature has been redacted or was retained by the donor.
These records were originally processed by Pat Finnerty, archival consultant, for the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley under a grant from New York State. Additional description and arrangement were done by Erin Molloy, Archives Center volunteer, August 2012. 2019 Addendum processed by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archives specialist, August 2019.
Arrangement:
This collection is divided into five series:
Series 1, Organizational Materials, 1989-2004, undated
Subseries 1, Business records, 1989-2003, undated
Subseries 2, Minutes, 1996-2004, undated
Subseries 3, Wish List materials, 2000-2003
Series 2, Correspondence, 2002-2003
Subseries 1, Business, 2003
Subseries 2, Thank You letters, 2002
Series 3, Financial Materials, 1998-2009, undated
Subseries 1, General,1998-2004
Subseries 2, Wish List finances, 1999-2003, undated
Subseries 3, General, 2000-2009
Subseries 4, 2002-2003
Subseries 5, Fundraising materials, 2002-2003
Series 4, Events, 2001-2004
Subseries 1, A Closer Walk, 2001-2004
Subseries 2, Hollywood and Wine, 2001
Subseries 3, Hollywood and Wine, 2002
Series 5, 2019 Addendum, 1989-2010
Biographical / Historical:
This history was provided by Evelyn Bailey of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Rochester, New York. "In August, 1986 a group of concerned citizens organized to raise money for Rochester area AIDS patients. The community-wide committee was represented by actively interested business people. At the time Dr. William Valenti, a member of the "Helping People With AIDS" committee and a doctor at Strong Memorial Hospital's Infectious Disease Clinic, said "this committee has been established to raise funds for immediate aid for uninsured AIDS persons." The goal that year was to raise money to hire a full-time nurse-practitioner for the clinic at Strong Memorial Hospital.
The committee held three private parties which raised just over two-thousand dollars. Future plans included: the sale of Bob Damron's Guide to the USA; a series of raffles with prizes from flowers to theatre tickets to Baccarat crystal; two nights of the upcoming Gay Men's Christmas concert focused on Helping People With AIDS; Halloween party. On Saturday, September 27, 1986 the first Dining For Dollars was held. Friends across the city hosted small dinner parties for six to ten guests with cocktails and dinner for a twenty dollar donation to Helping People With AIDS. At 9:30 pm all dinner hosts and guests gathered at Village Gate for dessert, cocktails, entertainment and a raffle. This first "Dining For Dollars" as were all those that followed, was non-exclusive to the gay population of Rochester, but rather was a community wide event. The organizers of the first Dining For Dollars, Dan Meyers, Jerry Algozer and Dr. William Valenti, declared the event an unqualified success. Close to nineteen-thousand dollars was raised to benefit the AIDS Clinic at Strong Memorial Hospital. The money raised was used to pay for medication and medical treatment for patients who were otherwise unable to do so. At the time HPA was also paying for expensive prescriptions which in some cases cost one hundred dollars or more per month.
Members of the community volunteered time, talent and money to plan the second Dining For Dollars held on Saturday, September 26, 1987 at Midtown. Neil Parisella, one of the founding members of Dining For Dollars, approached his very good and close friend, Nancy Delancey, Director of Marketing for Midtown, with the idea of holding the event at Midtown. Nancy pursued it with management and the rest is history. Midtown donated props/displays and staff to put it together. John Haldoupis did the design work and Gary Sweet donated the liquor. The event raised thirty-one thousand dollars. HPA fundraising was off to a great start! By 1992, a quarter million had been raised. In 1995, Dining For Dollars X moved to the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. Success after success brought HPA's seventeen year fundraising total close to one million dollars.
By 1991, a Wish List Fund had begun. This was a fund dedicated to fulfilling the needs of people with AIDS. A wish could be anything from a trip that never was, to a television set that many of us took for granted, to providing money for veterinary care for a favorite pet. The Wish Fund List was born out of a need in the community to provide people that were living with AIDS, because of the astronomical medical costs at the time, with money for the little things in life that added to the quality of their life. The fund could be accessed once a year for up to one hundred dollars. The Wish List Fund was maintained by funneling ten percent of the money raised from Dining For Dollars into it.
Prior to 1992, all of the donations collected were given to the AIDS Clinic at Strong Memorial Hospital for direct treatment and distribution. As of 1992, HPA handled the distribution which insured that the money was disseminated to as many organizations as possible who were working with infected HIV people. In the beginning of the epidemic, Strong was the care giver and care provider for people with HIV. The increase in AIDS cases drastically changed the picture. By 1992, there were a full range of agencies in a nine county area that served people with HIV and who benefitted from the money that Dining For Dollars raised.
By 2003, AIDS had become a disease that you could live with. The treatments and drugs were constantly improving. Funding for AIDS organizations was flowing through the pipeline, and there was less and less need in the community for financial support for people with HIV. In November 2003, the HPA Board, chaired by Tim Tompkins, voted to dissolve the corporation and donate the remaining funds to AIDS Rochester.
For the seventeen years of its existence, Helping People With AIDS gave the Rochester community a way to fight this deadly disease and respond to the crisis with hope. HPA gave many people with HIV a sense of dignity and a quality of life they would not have had without the Wish List. The Rochester community owes all of those who were involved with HPA a debt of gratitude for the care and compassion it showed to people with HIV."
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
John Manuel Andriotte Victory Deferred Collection, 1901-2008, undated (AC1128)
Division of Science, Medicine, and Society, HIV and AIDS Reference Collection, 1979-2006, undated (AC1134)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Collection, 1942-2012, undated (AC1146)
World AIDS Institute Collection, 1986-2012, undated (AC1266)
These records were donated by the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Rochester, New York, 2012. An addendum was donated in 2019.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Collection is located off-site.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
