                        CONVENTION 1995:
                     MAKE PLANS FOR CHICAGO
                      by Kenneth Jernigan 

     The time has come to plan for the 1995 convention of the
National Federation of the Blind. As Federationists know, our
recent National Conventions in New Orleans, Charlotte, Dallas,
and Detroit have been record-breaking in every sense of the word-
-excellent programs, good food and facilities, and wonderful
hospitality. But Chicago in '95 promises to be the best we have
ever had. All you have to do is to remember our Chicago
convention in 1988, and you will know what a wonderful experience
is in store.
     We are going to the Hilton and Towers hotel at 720 South
Michigan Avenue in Chicago. You have to be there to believe it.
Read Steve Benson's article elsewhere in this issue, and you will
know what I mean. This exquisite hotel, built in the 1920's,
originally had over 3,000 rooms. In the 1980's it was remodeled
to have only 1,543 rooms, but the elevators (all fourteen of
them) and the rest of the infrastructure for a 3,000-room hotel
were left intact. Mrs. Jernigan and I have now been to the Hilton
and Towers for several planning meetings, and each time I am more
impressed than the last.  
     As usual, our hotel rates are good. For the 1995 convention
they are: singles, $47; doubles and twins, $49; triples, $54; and
quads, $57. In addition to the room rates, there will be a tax,
which at present is almost 15 percent. There will be no charge
for children in a room with parents as long as no extra bed is
required.  
     In recent years we have sometimes taken hotel reservations
through the National Office, but for the 1995 convention you
should write directly to Hilton and Towers Hotel, 720 S. Michigan
Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60605, Attention: Reservations; or call
(312) 922-4400. Hilton has a national toll-free number, but do
not (we emphasize NOT) use it. Reservations made through this
national number will not be valid. They must be made directly
with the Hilton and Towers in Chicago.  
     Here are the convention dates and schedule; Saturday, July
1--seminars for parents of blind children, blind job seekers, and
vendors and merchants; several other workshops and meetings.
Sunday, July 2--convention registration, first meeting of the
Resolutions Committee, other committees, and some of the
divisions. Monday, July 3--meeting of the Board of Directors
(open to all), division meetings, committee meetings, continuing
registration. Tuesday, July 4--opening general session, evening
gala. Wednesday, July 5--general sessions, tours. Thursday, July
6--general sessions, banquet. Friday, July 7--general sessions,
adjournment.
     Remember that we need door prizes from state affiliates,
local chapters, and individuals. Prizes should be relatively
small in size and large in value. Cash is always popular. In any
case, we ask that no prize have a value of less than $25.
Drawings will be made steadily throughout the convention
sessions. As usual the grand prize at the banquet will be
spectacular--worthy of the occasion and the host affiliate. The
1994 grand prize in Detroit was a thousand dollars in cash. The
1995 grand prize will be at least as good. Don't miss the fun! 
You may bring door prizes with you or send them ahead of time to:
Pam and Don Gillmore, 5132 West Fletcher Street, Chicago,
Illinois 60641-5049. 
     The displays of new technology; the meetings of special
interest groups, committees, and divisions; the exciting tours;
the hospitality and renewed friendships; the solid program items;
and the exhilaration of being where the action is and where the
decisions are being made--all of these join together to call the
blind of the nation to the Hilton and Towers Hotel in Chicago in
July of 1995. Come and be part of it--and for further information
read the following article from the Illinois affiliate for color
and details. 

[Photo: A wide angle shot of the Hilton and Towers hotel. Caption: Chicago
Hilton and Towers preserves the grandeur of the past]

                       WELCOME TO CHICAGO
                      by Stephen O. Benson

     From the Editor: Steve Benson is not only a member of the
Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind but
also the President of the National Federation of the Blind of
Illinois. Moreover he is a resident of Chicago, so he knows
whereof he speaks when he talks about the host city for the 1995
convention of the National Federation of the Blind. This is what
he has to say about the Hilton and Towers and the city that
surrounds our convention hotel:

     Chicago was incorporated in 1837. In 1840 little more than
4,000 people called it home. By 1860 it had swelled to more than
112,000. The city's history, political and economic climate,
energy, spirit, and character are captured in its nicknames:
Mudtown, City on the Lake, City of Big Shoulders, Hogopolis, Hog
Butcher for the World, Railroad Hub of the Nation, Gem of the
Prairies, City of Churches, Financial Capital of the Midwest,
Windy City, and Convention Capital of the World. This latter
claim is not made frivolously, for Chicago is equipped to play
host to the world--and the people come. Chicago has 25,746 hotel
rooms. An additional 41,000 rooms may be found in the
surrounding, collar counties. The largest convention Chicago
hosts, the International Machine Tool Association, meets every
two years and attracts more than 115,000 people. By the end of
1994 more than 3.8 million people will have attended conventions
in the Windy City. The anchor for all this activity, McCormick
Place, offers 1.3 million square feet of meeting and exhibit
space.
     Chicago hosted its first convention of the National
Federation of the Blind in 1950. The first political convention
to meet here was the Republican National Convention of 1860, at
which Abraham Lincoln was selected to carry the party's banner to
the White House. Many political conventions have woven strands
into the rich and varied fabric of Chicago's history, but none
has made more impact on the lives of blind Americans than the
five NFB conventions previously held here. So our 1995 national
convention in Chicago, the sixth, makes this city our "Sweet
Home." Taking nothing at all away from the splendid conventions
of recent years, 1995 will be the biggest and best by far. It is
fitting, then, that the site of next year's convention should be
one of the most spectacular hotels in the world.
     The Chicago Hilton and Towers, 720 S. Michigan Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois 60605, (312) 922-4400, is a Chicago landmark
and the flagship property of the Hilton chain. To the east of the
hotel, across Michigan Avenue, sprawls Grant Park with its
beautiful formal gardens, its wildflower garden, Buckingham
Fountain, museum campus, the Patrillo Bandshell, Columbia and
Chicago Yacht Clubs, Burnham Harbor and athletic fields. This is
a magnificent and proper setting for a hotel that received the
1994 Mobil Travel Guide's Four Star Award.
     When built in 1927 at a cost of thirty million dollars as
the Stevens Hotel, it was the largest in the world with 3,000
guest rooms. It had a rooftop eighteen-hole golf course with real
grass; a 25,000-volume private library; an art gallery; a five-
lane bowling alley; a swimming pool; and its own hospital, police
force, fire department, and three-story industrial laundry still
in operation. To say that it was roaring-twenties opulent is an
understatement.
     In 1945 Conrad Hilton acquired the property, and in 1951 the
hotel was renamed after its owner. In 1984 the hotel was
renovated with major structural changes, including the reduction
of guest rooms to 1,543 at a cost of 185 million dollars. Other
changes included converting two private ballrooms to a 5,000-
square-foot grand luxury suite, which rents for $4,000 per night
and which, I'm sad to say, none of us will occupy. The project
not only restored the hotel to its 1927 grandeur, it surpassed it
in many ways and placed the Hilton and Towers in a more
competitive position for today's business climate.
     The Hilton and Towers is a majestic structure that occupies
a full city block north to south and more than half a city block
east to west. The hotel boasts 120,000 square feet of exhibit
space, more than fifty meeting rooms, a 510-car attached garage,
a state-of-the-art fitness center, a full-service business
center, the Stevens Art Gallery, four excellent restaurants,
three lounges, a unisex hair salon, a shopping area, and twenty-
four-hour room service--and that doesn't begin to tell the story
of this very special facility.
     As you step through the Hilton and Towers front doors on
Michigan Avenue, you enter the spectacular Great Hall with its
restored gold leaf frescoes and elegant, graceful curving
staircases leading to the Grand Ballroom and other meeting space
on the second floor. Immediately to the right is Lake Side Green,
a two-story atrium lounge that features entertainment, billiards,
and light refreshment. Immediately to the left is a corridor
leading to the shopping area and escalators to the lower level
exhibit area. Continuing through the Great Hall, you come to the
central (north to south) corridor. Across this corridor, directly
in front of you, is the elevator lobby with fourteen elevators on
the north, west, and south sides. The east side of the elevator
lobby is the open side. If you turn right (north) in the main
corridor, you will find on the right side the assistant manager's
desk, the hotel's registration desk, and the bell stand. Across
the corridor from the hotel's registration desk is the Pavilion
Restaurant. At the end of the corridor is the Concierge. If you
turn left, there are rest-rooms for men and women on the right
side. Straight ahead is the carport.
     The Pavilion is a French country cafe surrounded by a
spacious veranda dotted with colorful flowering plants.
Contemporary and impressionist art adorn the area. The menu
features sumptuous breakfasts and lunch and dinner buffets, plus
a wide selection of burgers, pasta salads, sandwiches, and many
daily specials. The 275-seat restaurant is open from 5:30 a.m. to
1:00 a.m.
     If you turn left from the Great Hall (south) you will find
on the right side of the corridor Buckingham's, the hotel's fine
dining signature restaurant. This warm, club-like space seats 165
guests. It is decorated in high-lacquered mahogany woods, gray
and white marble, beveled mirrors, and upholstered walls with
brass accents. Watercolors, line drawings, and paintings of
Chicago's Buckingham Fountain by local artists hang throughout
the room. Buckingham's features steak, chops, and seafood. It is
open from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. and requires reservations. For those
interested, Buckinghams claims the largest selection of single
malt scotch whiskeys in the city, a total of 106.
     Continuing south through the main corridor, on the left side
are Ciro's Jewelry; Parnell's Irish Shop; a flower shop; and W.H.
Smith's Store, featuring newspapers, magazines, toiletries, and
so on. On the right side are men's and women's rest-rooms. Kitty
O'Shea's Irish Pub and Restaurant is next on the left side. At
the end of the corridor, straight ahead, is Accent Chicago,
featuring souvenirs and gifts. Make a right turn, and on the
right is Chicago's own world-class Fanny Mae Candy. Here are
treats unequaled anywhere. Next on the right are escalators
leading up to the International Ballroom. Straight ahead and down
several steps is the newly renovated Continental Ballroom.
     The southeast corner of the Hilton and Towers is an
extraordinary area. If you pause there for a bit of refreshment,
you may hear echoes of William Butler Yeats, Brendan Behan, Sean
O'Casey, James Joyce; or you may detect just a hint of the little
people. You are certain to hear the cadence and lilt of English
as spoken on the Emerald Isle. The place is Kitty O'Shea's Irish
Pub and Restaurant. The 150-seat pub is an authentic Irish tavern
reminiscent of centuries-old establishments in Ireland.
     Hilton sent a design team to Dublin and gave them the dirty,
thankless job of visiting some forty pubs to study floor plans,
decor, menus, and other little touches that could carry the
ambiance of those legendary gathering spots to Chicago. The
Hilton and Towers has done the job just right.
     The oak plank flooring and ceramic floor tiles in green,
orange, black, and white; the hand-carved mahogany and marble
bar; the glass shelving; and ceramic mugs are imported from
Ireland. The antique beer taps were donated by the Guiness
Brewery in Dublin. The food is authentic, and the chef, bar men,
and wait staff are Irish natives working here on a culinary hotel
exchange program.
     Tradition and hospitality abound in this warm and merry
place. True to Irish custom, according to manager Eamon Brady,
"Loyal customers are honored by personalized mugs. You may have a
ceramic Guiness mug registered for your use and hung from the
ceiling above the bar."
     Distinguished Irishmen of Chicago have added a special touch
to Kitty O'Shea's. Past presidents and officers of the Irish
Fellowship Club have donated shillelaghs that have been carried
in the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade. The black thorn
staffs hang in Shillelagh Corner.
     And then there's the entertainment. Nightly from 9:00 p.m.
to 2:00 a.m., you can hear Irish balladeers sing the songs of the
Old Sod. Better than that, there are sing-alongs. You can lift
your voices in the singing of "Johnny McAdoo," "Whistling Gypsy,"
"Jug of Punch," "Jolly Tinker," and many more rowdy and sweet
aires. Kitty O'Shea's is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.,
with food served until 9:00 p.m. Partake of Irish lamb stew;
shepherds pie; potato and leek soup; and, if you like, Blarney
Burgers. Don't miss Kitty O'Shea's.
     For a moment let us revisit the magnificent Continental
Ballroom, which was recently renovated at a cost of two million
dollars. From its stunning 3,700-square-foot foyer to the state-
of-the-art sound system, to the twenty-three glittering
chandeliers and thirty-six wall sconces, this 10,000-square-foot
room, decorated in green, mauve, and violet, is well coordinated
with the decor of the hotel.
     The second floor of the hotel features the Versailles-
inspired 16,600-square-foot Grand Ballroom with its twenty-two-
karat gold frescoes and crystal chandeliers and the nearly
22,000-square-foot International Ballroom. In addition, the
second floor houses the Normandy Lounge, site of the Buckinghams-
hosted Sunday brunch with a 120-foot buffet. The elegant Normandy
Lounge overlooks Grant Park and is graced by chairs from the
ocean-liner, S. S. Normandy. In addition, north of the elevator
lobby is the Boulevard Room. It is worth noting that this was
once a nightclub that featured a floor show on ice.
     The Hilton and Towers has hosted every President since
Franklin D. Roosevelt and heads of state from Japan, England,
Sweden, Denmark, Greece, and Ireland. In addition, such notables
as Charles Lindbergh; Maria Callas; Frank Sinatra; Richard
Burton; Walter Payton; Michael Jordan; Babe Ruth; Ray Charles;
and many, many more have stayed at this hotel. Next year the
Hilton and Towers will welcome us, the National Federation of the
Blind. Large and elegant as it is, the hotel definitely has the
warmth and feeling of a fine home. Much of the credit for that
goes to the outstanding, well-trained staff. The Chicago Hilton
and Towers will be our home for a week in 1995. As we add a
chapter to our history, so too we will add a chapter to the
history of this magnificent hotel and to the history of Chicago.
The Illinois affiliate looks forward to being your host and to
continuing the positive work of the National Federation of the
Blind. Welcome to Chicago!

[Photo: A wide angle shot of a portion of the Chicago skyline dominated by the
Sears Tower building. Caption: Sears Tower presides over Chicago's dramatic
skyline.

                  ** CONVENTIONS! CONVENTIONS!
                      by Stephen O. Benson
     In addition to the article about Chicago, which appears
elsewhere in this issue, Steve Benson and the members of the NFB
of Illinois have prepared the following information to whet your
appetite for the 1995 convention of the National Federation of
the Blind:
     As everyone who attends Federation conventions knows, each
one takes on its own flavor and characteristics. That was
certainly true of the 1994 convention of the National Federation
of the Blind of Illinois, September 30 through October 2. The
convention was billed as a tuneup for the 1995 national
convention, and it lived up to its billing and to all our
expectations. Nearly 160 Federationists and friends from across
Illinois and from six other states gathered at the Hyatt Regency
Hotel in Lisle, Illinois, in a celebration of progress and to
make a united commitment to our march to freedom.
     Spirits were high when convention activities opened with a
JOB seminar on Friday afternoon, September 30, and they rose from
there. Our student chapter met on Friday evening and Saturday
afternoon with exciting results. Our parents chapter meeting was
packed with information and a spirit of sharing and purpose that
bodes well for the new slate of officers.
     In addition to presentations that focused on access to the
news via dial-up services, an outstanding employment panel,
comments from the State Department of Rehabilitation Services,
and the library, Saturday afternoon's program peaked with the
showing of That the Blind May Read, our new film on Braille
literacy.
     Saturday evening's pre-banquet activities, and indeed the
banquet, will be long remembered. At approximately 5:30 p.m., as
the scholarship committee met and as Federationists made ready
for the evening's activities, the hotel was plunged into darkness
by a major power failure. Federationists, including the national
representative, Sharon Gold, found themselves wending their way
up and down as many as fourteen stories of steps. The banquet was
held in a large outdoor pavilion, heated, fortunately, against
the autumn chill. As the banquet was called to order by Master of
Ceremonies Brian Johnson, the hall was illuminated by candles and
emergency lights only, and there was no power for the public
address system. Despite the unusual circumstances, the banquet
unfolded without a hitch. Enthusiasm continued to swell with
cheers and Federation songs. Sharon Gold delivered a masterly
banquet speech punctuated by the excited calls of a flock of
geese migrating along the Great Lakes flyway.
     Enthusiasm continued to mount during the Sunday morning
business session's presidential report, treasurer's report,
resolutions, election, and discussion of next year's National
Convention. We were reminded of Dr. Jernigan's admonition to
prepare for tomorrow and today will have been taken care of. The
Illinois affiliate hopes you will be prepared for the
Federation's biggest and best convention. We know we will be. The
1994 convention of the NFB of Illinois reached crescendo with
what we regard as the frontispiece for our 1995 convention in
Chicago. It is a tape recording that goes like this:

     All roads, railroads, and airways lead to Chicago:
transportation hub of America, crossroads of the world, with one
of the globe's busiest international airports.
     In 1995 more than 3,000 Federationists and friends are
expected to pass through O'Hare Field, Midway Airport, Union
Station, and the Greyhound terminal, and along Chicago's
expressways, to attend the fifty-fifth annual convention of the
National Federation of the Blind from July 1 through July 7. Here
is some of what this great American city has to offer.
     Spreading west from thirty miles of Lake Michigan shoreline,
more than twenty of which is devoted to recreation, is Carl
Sandburg's "City of Big Shoulders." Within its boundaries or
immediately surrounding Chicago are located two of the nation's
top ten academic institutions, Northwestern University and the
University of Chicago. There are six law schools; seven medical
schools; eighteen four-year colleges and universities; a world-
renowned library; a world-class art museum and school; one of the
world's finest symphony orchestras; and five outstanding museums
devoted to American history, natural history, astronomy, science
and technology (and their application in industry), and the John
G. Shedd Aquarium with a collection of more than 8,000 fish and a
spectacular oceanarium housing whales and dolphins.
     One of Chicago's two major zoos (the Lincoln Park Zoo, open
every day of the year) is free. Chicago has two professional
baseball teams and scores of nightclubs featuring jazz; blues;
and comedy, including Second City. In addition, there are
countless fine restaurants that reflect the many cultures and
nationalities that comprise Chicago.
     Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, which hosts more
than four million visitors each year, houses an actual coal mine,
the U505, a Nazi submarine captured intact during World War II,
an extensive space technology exhibit, and the dramatic Omnimax
Theater.
     The world's first skyscraper with a steel frame was erected
in Chicago. Today three of the five tallest buildings in the
world are located within two miles of the Hilton and Towers
Hotel. The Sears Tower, 1,454 feet high, and the John Hancock
Center, 1,285 feet high, have observation decks that provide a
panoramic view of a four-state area and the southern tip of Lake
Michigan--second largest body of fresh water in North America,
350 miles long and 100 miles wide. The elevators in the Sears
Tower ascend to an observation deck 103 floors above the street
at a speed of eighteen miles an hour in seventy seconds. It is a
thrilling experience.
     Just a short distance from the hotel, one can hire a horse-
drawn carriage to tour the Gold Coast and Streeterville, two of
the most fashionable areas in the city. What a wonderful and
relaxing way to cap off an evening after dining in one of
Chicago's finest restaurants.
     NFB Convention '95: We know who we are and we know where
we're going. See you in Chicago! My kind of town.
