Ohio History Journal

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Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting 407

Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting            407

various mounds and parks. He congratulated the Society on

its work, and stated this meeting will give him renewed en-

thusiasm.

Mr. Randall stated that the Historical Commission of Ohio,

was appointed without legal authority, a year ago last January

or February, by Governor Cox; it is simply a committee acting

voluntarily. The purpose is to gather at once the material and

data of the activities of Ohio in connection with the Great War.

This includes Y. M. C. A., Red Cross, Knights of Columbus,

enlistments, war chests and similar activities. The committee

consisted of nineteen, mostly the professors of history in the

different colleges. That committee has acted as an adjunct, so

to speak, to this Society, owing to the fact that I, being secretary

of this Society, was made ex officio a member. We furnished

them with quarters in this building. Prof. A. M. Schlesinger

was made chairman of the commission. He has resigned and

now lives in another state. He acted also as secretary of the

commission.  The officers of the commission requested Mr.

Felch to come and take his place here. He will now read his

report.

 

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY TO THE OHIO HISTORICAL COMMISSION.

The writer of this statement of the condition of the archives

of the Historical Commission of Ohio, has been in the office as

executive secretary of the Commission for only two short

months, and can not, therefore, give anything more than a cur-

sory and insufficient report of the work.

Owing to the retirement of Dr. Arthur M. Schlesinger, the

duties thereof have devolved upon the Acting Chairman, Dr.

E. O. Randall, from whom a full report can be expected at the

end of the year.

The Historical Commission was appointed by Governor

James M. Cox in February, 1918. The members designated to

conduct its work were, in the main, the leading historical pro-

fessors of all the colleges and universities of the State. This

Commission has since been augmented by the appointment of a

series of County Chairmen, acting under the instructions of

the State Chairman, to gather all available material in the coun-

ties that might otherwise be thrown away.

The only complete and satisfactory history of any county's

participation in the war can be printed, after it has been edited

or largely compiled from the archives of the State Commission.