In a 1990 interview in Memories: The Magazine of Then and Now, the late Tom Carroll - who established the Levittown Historical Society two years earlier - noted that things in Levittown had change since the 1950s. "There was more camaraderie back then" he said. "Now everybody's got two or three cars in the driveway and there are shopping malls all over the place. You don't have to get involved with your neighbor." Indeed. Some are suggesting that the events of September 11, 2001 might render us a society less materialistic and self-centered and more introspective and civic-minded. But, I dare say, introspection and civic-mindedness are what the Levittown Historical Society has always been about since its founding in 1988 and each year we rededicate ourselves to that end. Two thousand and one was an especially good year.

As always, the Society held its open-to-the-public meetings on the third Monday of the month featuring exhibits, lectures, and films on topics of local interest. This year we met members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors' Association whose eyewitness to that great and tragic day in history held us enthralled. Long Island's oldest lifeguard, now 73, stopped by to reflect upon his decades at Jones Beach. He still meets qualification requirements every year. We also hosted an exhibit on Beatles memorabilia that captured the lives and times and music of an entire generation of Levittowners. There was also a photograph-accompanied program on the woodlands and waterways of Long Island's wildlife sanctuaries and the rich body of history and folklore therein.

As the 1908-11 Vanderbilt Cup Race was held in the future Levittown, the Levittown Historical Society provided a forum for discussion on the preservation of the legacy of the former Long Island Motor Parkway and world-famous automotive spectacles. No less important to us is our local aviation history and in September we had a program on Long Island's Cradle of Aviation Museum.

The richness of the legacy of Levittown lies as much in its people as in its artifacts. To this end, we frequently host people with interesting and poignant stories to tell. In May, we were visited by Beth Dalton whose multi-talented father, Thomas, played a pivotal role in many of Levittown's first civic organizations. And then there are the O'Garas. The O'Garas are a young couple whose story is about Levittown's ongoing role in symbolizing the American Dream. It's the moving tale of a young Irish woman who came to America after living in Germany and met her husband, a born-and-bred Levittowner. Together, they adopted a little Russian girl after some rather extraordinary misadventures in the heart of post-Soviet Russia now live in Levittown. Our Museum at the Levittown Memorial Education Center was, in 2001, graced by troops of Boy Scouts, hundreds of school children, university students studying post-WWII American history, and a delegation of Japanese civil engineers whose company has emulated many of the techniques pioneered by Levitt and Sons. And, of course, visitors from the general public.

We have, this year, made considerable improvements at the Museum. Our Levittown home display, circa 1950, now includes a teenager's bedroom from that era. We have an exhibit of the Island of Trees, that ancient grove of pines that grew at the corner of Hempstead Turnpike and Jerusalem Avenue between colonial times and 1949 and endowed the neighborhood with the name Island Trees. We have acquired an extensive collection of photographs of Levittown homes under construction and the lumberyards and supply depots employed by Levitt and Sons to build our community. From collections of artifacts from World War II, to post-War memorabilia, to Baby Boom popular culture, we continue to grow.

Two thousand and one has been a busy year at the Levittown Historical Society and many activities are planned for 2002. We invite guests, new members, and volunteers. We welcome all to see our museum and visit our website at www.levittownhistoricalsociety.org.