Ohio History Journal

PRESENTATION OF RARE COLLECTION BY

PROFESSOR EMERSON VENABLE

After adjourning to the Library, as above noted, the

following proceedings were had:

SECRETARY GALBREATH:       Mr. Emerson Venable,

teacher, author, and writer, will present the Dolores

Cameron Venable Memorial Collection in honor of his

late wife.

MR. EMERSON VENABLE: Mr. Galbreath and Mem-

bers of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical So-

ciety: I regret that my daughter, Evelyn Venable, is

unable to be present on this occasion; but she is present

in spirit, and has asked me to convey to you her greet-

ings. Mr. Secretary, in behalf of my daughter and my-

self I now have the pleasure of presenting, through you,

to the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society,

the Dolores Cameron Venable Memorial Collection.

In accepting Professor Venable's gift Secretary

Galbreath said:

Professor Emerson Venable and Friends:

In behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio State Arch-

aeological and Historical Society, I accept this notable gift--the

first of this kind in the history of this institution.

With William H. Venable's standard work, The Beginnings

of Literary Culture in the Ohio Valley, published in 1891, come

also a revision of that work by the author in manuscript form

brought down almost to the time of his death, over 500 manu-

script letters by prominent Ohio writers of the past century, and

some rare items from Ohioans prominent in statesmanship and

(597)

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598       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications war. There are also hundreds of lantern slides largely devoted to Ohio literary subjects. The plan was to present this valuable and unique gift when not only Mr. Emerson Venable but his talented, cultured and

beautiful daughter, Miss Evelyn, could be present. Miss Evelyn has the culture and refinement of both parents and the beauty of her mother whose portrait you see, and in whose memory this

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Report of the Forty-sixth Annual Meeting    599 collection is presented. The daughter has commenced a promising career on the stage and is now making a coast to coast tour with the Walter Hampden Company presenting "Cyrano de Ber- gerac," by Rostand. We hope to be honored by her presence at some future meeting. I accept and dedicate this collection as a foundation source for the study of Ohio literature and the careers of Ohio literary men and women. As a first fruit of this source I invite atten- tion to the neat volume entitled An Interpretation of the Life and Poetry of Coates Kinney, by Miss Debora M. MacNeilan, of Columbus. In behalf of the Society I thank the donor, Mr. Emerson Venable and his daughter, for this precious gift and assure him that it will be sacredly preserved. After the ceremonies incident to the dedication, the audience repaired to the auditorium to hear Mr. C. A. Jones deliver his address on Abraham Lincoln. After introduction by Chairman Sater, Mr. Jones delivered his address which was out of the line of the ordinary eulogy on Abraham Lincoln and presented many facts that were new to his audience.

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