Minutes of the Meeting of the
Ohio Academy of History,
Columbus, April 8, 1961
THE
OHIO ACADEMY
of
History held its twenty-eighth annual meeting
at the Ohio State Museum on April 8,
1961.
Two concurrent sessions were held in the
morning and two in the
afternoon. Robert L. Gilmore of Ohio
University presided over the
Latin American history section, at which
Father Charles E. Ronan, S.J.,
of Xavier University delivered a paper
entitled "Clavigero, Eighteenth
Century Voice of America," and Hugh
M. Hamill, Jr., of Ohio Wesleyan
University spoke on "The Virgin of
Guadalupe and the Origins of
Mexican Nationalism." A discussion
of these two papers was led by
John Te Paske of Ohio State University
and Charles Ameringer of
Bowling Green State University. The
session devoted to Ohio history
was chaired by Eugene Roseboom of Ohio
State University. Papers
were read by George J. Ruppel of the
University of Dayton on "Another
View of Governor Donahey," and by
Sam E. Salem of Case Institute
on "Newton D. Baker's Cleveland
Career, 1901-1916." H. Landon
Warner of Kenyon College and Alan D.
Harper of Ohio State University
carried the discussion of these topics.
Louis Filler of Antioch College
acted as chairman of the session on
American history. Papers entitled
"Jefferson's Foreign Policy and
Napoleon's Ideologues," by Lawrence
S. Kaplan of Kent State University, and
"The London Press and the
First Decade of American
Independence," by Charles R. Ritcheson of
Kenyon College, were followed by a
discussion opened by Robert Seager
II of Denison University and Jack P.
Greene of Western Reserve Uni-
versity. The final session, devoted to
the field of European history, was
once again chaired by John Hall Stewart
of Western Reserve Univer-
sity. "Russia's Primary Industrial
Revolution, 1835-1860: A Considera-
tion and a Critique of a Theory"
was the subject of a study by Alfred A.
Skerpan of Kent State University, and
"Hitler's First Twelve Hours in
OHIO ACADEMY OF HISTORY 255
Power (30 January 1933)" were
documented by Robert E. Neil of
Oberlin College. Michael S. Pap of John
Carroll University and William
J. Darcy of Capital University served as
discussants.
The annual luncheon at the Ohio Union
was attended by an overflow
crowd of 120 persons and was presided
over by Wilfred E. Binkley,
president of the Academy. Lawrence S.
Kaplan, representing the Com-
mittee on Awards, presented the 1960
Certificate of Award for Historical
Achievement to Harvey Wish of Western
Reserve University for his
book The American Historian, and
Dean Everett Walters of Ohio State
University outlined for the membership
the program of the Advisory
Committee of Historians to the Ohio Civil
War Centennial Commission.
The luncheon session was concluded with
an address by Lynn W.
Turner, president of Otterbein College,
entitled "The Birth of a Nation."
The business meeting of the Academy was
held following the luncheon.
Hilmar Grimm expressed his appreciation
to the members of the pro-
gram committee and the speakers, and
Lawrence Kaplan addressed
similar remarks to the members of the
Awards committee. Speaking for
the Finance committee, William Keener
advised the members that the
Academy's financial position could be
maintained by continuing a modest
registration fee at the Spring meeting
and by further encouraging mem-
bers to pay their dues by sending an
annual statement. This report was
adopted.
The Committee on Standards presented an
extensive report which the
Academy chose to submit to the entire
membership for approval. Several
members expressed the view that a
position taken by the entire organiza-
tion would prove more forceful than a
committee report, and the Secre-
tary was requested to prepare the report
for balloting.
H. Landon Warner rose to present the
following Amendment to the
Constitution of the Academy for
consideration:
To Amend Article VI:
Section 5. The first President serving
under this amendment shall
appoint a Committee on Historical
Societies and Archives, composed of
six members of the Academy, two members
of which shall be appointed
for three years, two members for two
years, and two members for one
year. Each succeeding President shall appoint two
members for the
three-year term. Each President shall
name one of the six members
chairman of the committee for one year.
It shall be the duty and re-
sponsibility of this committee to consider,
observe, receive reports or
complaints on, and investigate the
standards of historical societies and
archives in the state, with particular
regard for programs, methods and
procedures, qualifications, working
conditions, and salaries. The com-
256
THE OHIO HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
mittee shall report from time to time
its activities, findings, and recom-
mendations to the President and the
Executive Committee, and shall
present a report at the annual meeting
of the Academy.
The amendment was adopted by unanimous
vote.
The Committee on Nominations presented
the following slate of offi-
cers for 1961-1962 and moved its
adoption:
For president--William L. Wannemacher,
Kent State University
For vice president--Raymond W. Bixler,
Ashland College
For secretary-treasurer--Kenneth W.
Duckett, Ohio Historical
Society
The motion was seconded and unanimously
approved.
Duane D. Smith, speaking on behalf of
the University of Toledo,
extended an invitation to the
Academy to hold its Fall meeting at that
institution. The invitation was
gratefully accepted.
Finally, President Binkley thanked his
fellow officers and members
of the various committees for their
cooperation during his tenure, after
which the meeting was adjourned.
Committee on Program: Hilmar G. Grimm,
Capital University,
chairman; John Huckaby, Denison University; Robert H. Bremner,
Ohio State University.
Committee on Awards: Lawrence H. Kaplan,
Kent State University,
chairman; Frank L. Esterquest, Western College for Women; Irwin
Abrams, Antioch College.
Committee on Standards: Harris G.
Warren, Miami University,
chairman; Duane D. Smith, University of Toledo; Robert Cruden,
Baldwin-Wallace College; Robert H.
Bremner, Ohio State University;
Robert Twyman, Bowling Green State
University.
Committee on Finance: William G. Keener,
Ohio Historical Society,
chairman; H. Landon Warner, Kenyon College; Phillip R. Shriver,
Kent State University.
Committee on Nominations: Eugene H.
Roseboom, Ohio State Uni-
versity, chairman; William L.
Fisk, Jr., Muskingum College; Fred B.
Joyner, Miami University; Eugene E.
Beauregard, University of
Dayton.
WILLIAM G. KEENER
Secretary-Treasurer