Ohio History Journal

290    OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

DR. WITTKE:      Are there any further announcements or fur-

ther business to come before the meeting? Then, a motion to

adjourn will be in order.

MR. MILLER: I move that we adjourn.

This motion was seconded by Mr. Fisher and carried.

 

ABSTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING

OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE

OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY

HELD APRIL 20, 1937

The regular annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio

State Archaeological and Historical Society was held in conjunction with

the Annual Meeting of the Society at the Museum and Library building in

Columbus, on April 20, 1937, at 1:00 P. M. The meeting was attended by

Trustees Eagleson, Bowsher, Florence, Goldman, Goodman, Miller, Parker,

Rightmire, Spencer, Spetnagel, Wittke and Wolfe. Director Shetrone and

Secretary Lindley were also present. In the absence of President A. C.

Johnson, Sr., Mr. Freeman T. Eagleson presided. Mr. Bowsher, State

director of education, an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees also

represented Governor Martin L. Davey at the meeting. Mr. Spencer of

Newark and Mr. Parker of Cleveland were recently appointed trustees of

the Society by the governor of Ohio as of February 18.

Minutes of the January meeting, which had been sent to all Board

members, were approved.

Mr. Eagleson called for reports from the Committee on the Classi-

fication of State Memorials and the Committee on Recognition of the

Society by the State Legislature in determining eligibility of prospective

archaeological and historical memorials and the feasibility of charging ad-

mission to the more important State memorials. Mr. Lindley informed the

Board that the chairman of both of these committees, Mr. George B.

Smith of Dayton, was no longer a member of the Board of Trustees and

that he had reported that the press of business had not allowed him to

investigate these matters. Mr. Goldman made a motion, seconded by Mr.

Wittke that the president be authorized to fill the vacancies on these com-

mittees. The motion carried. Mr. Shetrone made a brief statement con-

cerning the possibility of charging admission to some of the large State

parks and he suggested that at the next meeting he would probably have

more definite information. The president appointed Carl Wittke and Robert

P. Goldman to fill these vacancies and Oscar F. Miller was designated

chairman of the committee.

The secretary read a communication from the attorney-general of

Ohio concerning the Elizabeth E. McFarland estate at Oxford, Ohio, in

which he requested an expression of opinion from the Board of Trustees

relative to a compromise settlement of the estate.

The secretary reported the status of the Senate Bill No. 150 which

provides for a definitive history of Ohio. He suggested that the chair

appoint a committee of one to see that the bill receive due consideration.

The chairman appointed a committee of three consisting of Messrs. Good-

man, Wolfe and Wittke, and commissioned them to enlist the support of

the governor in its favor.

Mr. Eagleson read a portion of a letter from Mr. Arthur C. Johnson

concerning the possibility for the establishment in the Museum Building

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REPORT OF THE FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING               291

 

of a Lithic Laboratory for the eastern United States. The director brought

out the fact that he believed that after the first two years the laboratory

would not cost the Society anything and that it was not necessary for the

Board to make any allotment for that purpose. All that was required was

an approval of the director's activities in setting up a laboratory. Mr.

Wolfe moved that the recommendation be adopted and the matter be re-

ferred to Mr. Shetrone and Mr. Johnson for development. This motion

was approved.

Mr. Eagleson read further from Mr. Johnson's letter a suggestion

that the Board grant the director of the Society a leave of absence which

would enable him to make a trip to England to pursue the necessary studies

preliminary to establishing the Lithic Laboratory. Mr. Johnson listed

several reasons why a trip was important and made an additional recom-

mendation to the effect that the Society pay the expenses of the director

while in England, expenses of passage to be furnished from another source.

Dr. Rightmire asked to be further enlightened concerning the sug-

gestion which had been made about the possibility of returning the Squier

and Davis Archaeological Collection to Ohio. The director explained that

this collection was owned by the British Museum and that he had no

definite understanding with the museum about a permanent loan of the

material but that he thought such a loan might be possible if he could

work through his friend, Sir Arthur Keith of the British Museum Associa-

tion. The director also stated that the Squier and Davis matter was one

of the purposes of his trip but he wanted the Board to feel that the trip

was justified on the basis of the study preliminary to setting up the Lithic

Laboratory.

Mr. Spetnagel moved that the secretary be appointed Acting Director

while Mr. Shetrone was absent in England. The motion was seconded by

Mr. Spencer and approved.

The director reported briefly on the status of the budget in the Legis-

lature. He said that the chief concern at that time was over the appro-

priation for park administration.

A resolution was reported from the business meeting of the Society

suggesting the appointment of a committee to consider the advisability of

making certain amendments to the Society's Constitution. Mr. Goldman

moved that the president be authorized to appoint a committee of three to

report on such a revision. The motion was approved. Mr. H. Preston

Wolfe, Mr. George Florence and Judge Carl V. Weygandt were appointed.

The Membership Committee provided for at the last meeting has

been appointed by the president and consists of Kenneth William McKinley,

chairman, Laurence H. Bartlett and William D. Overman from the staff

and Robert P. Goldman and Harold T. Clark from the Board of Trustees.

Mr. Wittke moved that the Board reelect the officers of the Society

who had served for the past year with the exception of the second vice-

president, which office was made vacant by the expiration of the term of

Wilber Stout, as a trustee. The motion was carried. Mr. Spetnagel moved

that Mr. Goodman be elected second vice-president. The motion was ap-

proved. The officers for the year are:

President, Arthur C. Johnson, Sr.

First vice-president, Freeman T. Eagleson.

Second vice-president, Joseph C. Goodman.

Secretary, Harlow Lindley.

Treasurer, Oscar F. Miller.

Director, H. C. Shetrone.

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292     OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

Mr. Miller moved that the staff be re-appointed for another year with

the present salaries. The motion was carried.

The secretary read a letter from Mr. H. Preston Wolfe, extending

an invitation from Mr. Johnson and Mr. Wolfe to the members of the

Board to hold the July meeting at the Wigwam, the country place of Mr.

H. P. Wolfe, near Reynoldsburg. To avoid difficulty in the matter of

transportation, they will furnish those members who desire to attend, with

accurate information as to how to reach the place. Mr. Spencer moved

that the invitation be accepted. The motion was seconded by practically

every member of the Board and unanimously approved. The secretary

stated that, according to precedent, the date of the next regular meeting

of the Board of Trustees would be July 27, 1937.

There being no further business to come before the meeting, motion

was made and carried for adjournment.

HARLOW LINDLEY, Secretary.

 

Afternoon Session--2 P. M.

Dr. George W. Rightmire presiding.

The program of the afternoon session was opened with a

vocal solo, entitled "Old Black Joe," by Mrs. Irene Cotton Stahl,

financial secretary of the Society, who also sang "Darling Nelly

Gray" as the closing number of the afternoon program. The first

selection was chosen in appreciation of the Stephen Collins Foster

Collection which was donated to the Society by Josiah K. Lilly of

Indianapolis, Indiana. "Darling Nelly Gray" was selected because

of the Society's efforts in the restoration of the home of Benjamin

R. Hanby, its composer.

The annual address was given by Professor Robert C. Binkley,

of Western Reserve University, his subject being "History for a

Democracy." This address was published in full in the January,

1937, issue of Minnesota History and a condensation of the ad-

dress was published in the July, 1937, issue of Museum Echoes.

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