MINUTES OF
THE OHIO ACADEMY OF HISTORY
Deshler-Wallick Hotel
Columbus, Ohio
April 9, 1948
The Ohio Academy of History met in
Columbus April 9, 1948,
in connection with the Ohio College
Association. The morning
session opened at 10 A. M. with Clayton
S. Ellsworth of the
College of Wooster presiding. Two papers
were given: "The Name
of the Holy Roman Empire," by
Richard G. Salomon of Kenyon
College, and "The Good Neighbor
Policy," by Arvid T. Johnson of
the University of Toledo.
Forty members attended the luncheon
conference at 12:30,
presided over by Hastings Eells of Ohio
Wesleyan University, presi-
dent of the academy. Harold J. Grimm of
the Ohio State Univer-
sity spoke on the subject "German
Historiography during the Nazi
Regime." Professor Eells also
presided over the afternoon session,
at which two papers were given:
"History in the General Education
Course," by Benjamin H. Pershing of
Wittenberg College, and
"Publications in Ohio
History," by James H. Rodabaugh of the
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical
Society.
Thirty seven members attended the
business meeting at 3:30.
The minutes of Secretary William D.
Overman of the meeting of
April 24, 1947, were read and approved
without amendment. His
report as treasurer was also read and
approved. The report of the
auditing committee, composed of Stanton
Ling Davis, chairman,
Phillip R. Shriver, and Donald P. Gavin
attested the figures of the
treasurer.
The report of the committee on awards,
composed of Francis
P. Weisenburger, chairman, H. Clyde
Hubbart, and William J.
McNiff, selected Earl S. Pomeroy of the
Ohio State University for
the annual award of the academy. His
book upon which the award
311
312
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
was based is entitled Territories of
the United States, 1861-1890,
published in 1947 by the Albert J.
Beveridge Memorial Fund of
the American Historical Association.
The committee on nominations (Albert T.
Volwiler, chairman,
Harold J. Grimm, and William T. Utter)
presented the following
slate of officers:
For president, George F. Howe,
Historical Division, Depart-
ment of the Army; for vice president,
Stanton Ling Davis, Case
Institute of Technology; for
secretary-treasurer, James H. Roda-
baugh. The report of the committee was
approved, and on motion
of A. Sellew Roberts of Kent University
the secretary was instructed
to cast a unanimous ballot for the
nominees.
Following is the report of a special
committee on resolutions
which was accepted by a standing vote of
all members:
We, as members of the Ohio historical
guild, living and working as we
do in three distinct larger areas of the
state and several smaller ones, scattered
as we are in a score of educational
institutions, and belonging, as many of
us do, to historical associations of a
national or regional nature, face the
danger of divided professional
allegiance.
All praise, therefore, is due those of
our leaders who through the decades
have urged us to cooperative effort, and
have worked to bring unity and higher
morale to our profession in Ohio.
One remembers how, back in the nineteen
twenties, members of the
History faculty of Ohio State University
called some of us together in a series
of history teachers' conferences; how,
in the early thirties, David R. Moore
of Oberlin College, and Harold E. Davis
of Hiram College, and others, led in
the movement to form this Academy; how
Harlow Lindley and others effected
for several years a union of the Academy
and the Ohio State Archaeological
and Historical Society in the form of
the Ohio History Conference; how
informal fraternal feeling was fostered
by Arthur C. Cole of Western Reserve
University and others, in our pleasant
sojourns on the shores of Lake Erie,
on the beautiful campus of Kenyon
College, and at Kent State University.
Today a warm testimonial of faithful
service and unremitting devotion
is due another of our coordinators, Dr.
William D. Overman, formerly Curator
of History of the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Society, now
Librarian and Archivist of the Firestone
Tire and Rubber Company of
Akron, Ohio.
Dr. Overman has been the Secretary of
the Ohio Academy of History
almost continuously since 1935. Around
him the Academy has radiated; he
has given continuity and direction to
our efforts; year after year he has
OHIO ACADEMY OF HISTORY 313
briefed us and told us where to go and
what to do. Year by year presidents
of the Academy have come and gone, but
his office has provided for us, as it
were, a permanent secretariat. As to his
personal qualities, any formal
resolution would fail to express the
warmth of admiration we feel for Bill's
modesty, integrity, and stability. We
yield reluctantly to his valid personal
request to be relieved of the duties of
the office.
It is fitting, also, that we should at
this time formally recognize the
debt the Ohio Academy owes to the Ohio
State Archaeological and Historical
Society for releasing enough of Dr.
Overman's time to enable him to serve in
this capacity, and for furnishing free
stenographic service and postage. This
organization has in many other ways
encouraged historical work. We urge
that the office of Secretary of the
Academy be held permanently by someone
in this centrally located society.
The committee moves that this
testimonial be adopted by the Academy,
be signed by the President, and that a
copy be sent to Dr. Overman by mail,
and that another copy be filed with our
minutes.
(Signed) H. C. Hubbart
(Signed) Stanton Ling Davis
On motion of Albert T. Volwiler, the
secretary was instructed
to forward a copy of the above
resolution to Erwin C. Zepp, director
of the Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Society, in recog-
nition of Dr. Overman's services
for the academy during his
employment by the society.
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES H. RODABAUGH
Secretary-Treasurer