Ohio History Journal

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE OHIO STATE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL

SOCIETY, APRIL 4, 1941

 

The Board of Trustees of the Ohio State Archaeological and

Historical Society met at noon, Friday, April 4, 1941, in the

Trustees Room of the Ohio State Museum. President Johnson

presided over the meeting attended by the following trustees:

Messrs. Eagleson, Fleischmann, Florence, Rightmire, Spencer,

Spetnagel, Wittke, and Wolfe. Director Shetrone, Secretary

Lindley, and Miss Hiestand were also present.

For the committee previously appointed to consider the ad-

visability of purchasing Professor Wilbur H. Siebert's library on

the Underground Railroad, Mr. Rightmire read a communication

of March 25, 1941, from Mr. Siebert to Mr. Rightmire in which

the special library was described and a price of $4500 quoted.

In closing his letter Mr. Siebert wrote: "In case the Society buys

my collection, which I think ought to be within a year's time, it is

my intention to present to the Society's library my comprehensive

collection of materials relating to the American Loyalists of the

Revolutionary period." Mr. Rightmire also read his own letter

addressed on April 3, 1941, to Mr. Johnson, chairman of the

special committee, in which he told of his examination of the

Siebert collection and said, " . . .the purchase price which he [Mr.

Siebert] mentions . . .seems reasonable to me, although I have no

commercial standard by which value in such case can be deter-

mined. I have no doubt that this material should be on the shelves

of the Society, and I recommend that a particular effort be made

to obtain it. This matter was referred to the Executive Com-

mittee which was given power to act.

The Secretary sketched the rise of business history groups in

this country and recommended that for the following reasons it

would be well for our Society to sponsor the organization of such

a section and approve the setting up of a committee for that

purpose:

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OHIO HISTORY CONFERENCE, 1941           231

 

1. To promote the study of business history and to make

a record of surviving businesses of early date.

2. To encourage owners to preserve old business documents.

3. To bring qualified historians into touch with new sources

of raw material.

4. To provide skilled assistance and advice to owners of

documents.

5. To further these ends by the issuance of suitable publi-

cations.

Mr. Eagleson seconded Mr. Wittke's motion that the Board

adopt the Secretary's recommendation. The motion carried.

The Secretary told of the background (the Maumee Valley

International Historical Convention held in September, 1940)

from which arose the present Anthony Wayne Memorial Associ-

ation and outlined the present set-up of that association, asking

that the trustees authorize the appointment of a committee of

three representing the Society to work with the general executive

committee of the association, the committees from the state legis-

latures of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, and the individual state

committees in the areas mentioned. Mr. Wittke moved that such

a committee for the Society be set up; Mr. Wolfe seconded the

motion, which carried.

The Director asked that a committee be authorized to call

upon Mr. Herman P. Jeffers to discuss with him the possible

exploration of the mound on his property north of Columbus.

The trustees approved this request.

The Secretary reported that the Sundry Claims Board had

allowed a claim for $164.1O in settlement for delinquent taxes

due prior to the purchase of the Hanby Memorial at Westerville,

but had rejected the claim for reimbursement of $5,360.27 ex-

pended in 1936 and 1937 on W.P.A. projects at Fort Ancient,

Hanby House, Mound City, Serpent Mound, and Tarlton Cross.

The trustees approved the motion of Mr. Fleischmann that

the incumbent officers of the Society be reelected for the ensuing

year. In connection with this order of business, the President

introduced the new trustee, Mr. Julius Fleischmann, to his col-

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232   OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

leagues, and spoke of the death of a former trustee, Mr. Charles

E. Ritchie of Tallmadge.

On motion of Mr. Wolfe the trustees reelected the present

staff. The Secretary spoke of the temporary shift necessitated

when Laurence H. Bartlett, head of the Newspaper Division, had

been drafted into the Army, whereby Andrew J. Ondrak was

placed in charge of that department during Mr. Bartlett's absence.

In this connection the President expressed confidence in the ability

of the administrative heads to make whatever temporary arrange-

ments might be necessary should additional staff members be

drafted and mentioned the Board's ruling that positions on the

staff should be kept open for persons following their return after

such military service.

The Director spoke briefly of the status of the Society's

budget for the biennium 1941-42, predicting that the Memorial

Division would be granted a liberal allowance while the Museum

and Library would probably get just enough to carry on.

The Secretary read a letter from the daughter of George

Smith, a former trustee, expressing appreciation for the Board's

sympathy at the time of her father's death.

The Secretary asked the trustees to consider the advisability

of holding the annual meetings of the Society and the Board on

Saturday morning rather than Friday in order to accommodate

the members of the Ohio Academy of History. The trustees

decided to continue such meetings on Friday.

The Secretary reported the accession by gift from Mr.

Joseph C. Goodman, a former trustee, of books, a map, and mu-

seum material, and he was directed to extend the thanks of the

trustees to Mr. Goodman.

The Secretary recommended that an honorary life member-

ship be granted to Mr. S. A. Canary of Bowling Green, Ohio,

because of his recent activities in behalf of the Society. This

suggestion was approved by the trustees.

Dr. Rightmire invited the trustees present to be his luncheon

guests at the Faculty Club.

The meeting adjourned.

HARLOW LINDLEY, Secretary.

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