Founding
Incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in the State of Illinois, 1983. Tax-exempt under IRS Code section 501(c)(3).
Facilities
The Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum, a 2,500 sq. ft., two-story Victorian home open to the public. The Main Oak Park Library houses the Hemingway Archives and Research Room. Future plans are in development for the building of an adjacent Writing & Learning Center.
Selected Collections (Hemingway Archives at the Oak Park Public Library)
Marcelline Hemingway Sanford Collection: Photographs, correspondence, clippings, books, clothing, childhood artifacts, and other family ephemera compiled by Ernest's sister Marcelline and generously donated to the Foundation by her sons.
Waring Jones Collection: Rare books, photographs, correspondence, ephemera, and family artifacts assembled by noted Hemingway collector Waring Jones over the span of several decades.
Frank Laurence Collection: Screenplays, records, lobby cards, movie posters, and other promotional materials collected by scholar Frank Laurence, who wrote "Hemingway and the Movies."
For more information, please contact: ltarullo@oppl.org
Visitors
Approximately 8,000 people visit the Birthplace Home Museum each year; the greater number being out of town visitors, with a preponderance of visitors from aboard. We typically host approximately 60-75 group tours annually consisting of foreign tourists, senior and student groups.
Education
We support and foster various educational initiatives including book/author lectures, reading groups, as well as work with area school districts to develop curriculum that reinforces thoughtful reading and writing. We sponsor an annual Hemingway Foundation Student Scholarship Essay Contest which provides a college scholarship to the winner as well as a year long mentorship with our Writer in Residence.
Events
Annual Hemingway birthday celebration and lecture on July 21, a family Boxing Day celebration held every December 26, and annual gala fundraising event.
Board
12 to 14-member board of directors representing the community and a six-member advisory board of Hemingway family, scholars and community leaders.
Volunteers
Numerous volunteers who regularly donate at least four hours per month.