Bill & Erma Bombeck Endowment Fund

Through the generosity of Erma Bombeck, a 1993 Historical League Historymaker™ , her husband Bill and the Historical League, Inc., an endowment fund has been established to underwrite educational programming in schools designated by the Arizona Department of Education as "Minority at Risk." These schools have more than a 50% minority population and students who score below the 40th percentile on standardized reading tests.  The majority of these students fail to graduate from high school!

Research conducted by the Arizona Historical Society Museum's education department has shown that "At Risk" schools would benefit the most from the Museum's "Living History" program, with particular emphasis on the outreach program's ethnic role models.  These schools, however, are the least likely to afford a nominal fee, which includes an honorarium plus mileage reimbursement paid to the interpreter.

The "Living History" program introduces Arizona historical personalities in terms of when they lived in Arizona, how they lived and what they did.  There are fifteen different interpretations available of men and women of diverse backgrounds, who played a part in developing Arizona.  This program increases the knowledge of Arizona history in an easily understood and personal way.

Your donation provides the school with an interpreter, as well as instructional material that is sent to the school prior to a presentation.  This material includes background information on the character portrayed, lessons in the vocabulary, crafts, language, etc. and discussion questions.  The "Living History" program is available to all schools, kindergarten through 12th grade.  Your donation to the Bill and Erma Bombeck Fund provides presentations only to "At Risk" schools.

The Historical League, Inc. provides auxiliary and financial support to the Arizona Historical Society Museum.

Yes! I would like to contribute to the Bill and Erma Bombeck Endowment Fund to provide free living history programs to those schools who qualify as being "At Risk". 

Click Here to download and print the Bombeck Endowment Fund Contribution Form.

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