Society for Historians of the

Gilded Age and Progressive Era

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING AND COUNCIL OF THE SOCIETY FOR HISTORIANS OF THE GILDED AGE AND PROGRESSIVE ERA, January 3, 2003

President Ballard Campbell called the Council Meeting of the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era to order at 5:08 p.m., January 3, 2003, in Private Dining Room 8, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Ill. In addition to President Campbell, Northeastern University, the following SHGAPE Council and other Members attended the meeting: Vice President Donna Gabaccia, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Secretary-Treasurer Roger D. Bridges, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center; Council Members Professors Lloyd E. Ambrosius, University of Nebraska, Alan Kraut, American University, Thomas Schoonover, University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Thomas Winter, Bilkent University; Newsletter Editor Alan Lessoff, Illinois State University; Immediate Past President Walter Nugent, University of Notre Dame; Past Presidents Michael Les Benedict, The Ohio State University; Robert W. Cherny, San Francisco State University; Charles W. Calhoun, East Carolina University; Membership Chair, H-Gape H-SHGAPE Book Review Editor Philip VanderMeer, Arizona State University; William Ferraro, Ulysses S. Grant Association, SIU, and James Beeby, West Virginia Wesleyan College

Following self introductions, Secretary-Treasurer presented the April 12, 2002, minutes . They were approved with typographical corrections.

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The Council accepted the Treasurer’s report showing a positive cash inflow of $14,222.29, an outflow of $13,969.64 and a checkbook balance of $13,506.28 for the 2002 calendar year, by common consent.

President Campbell reported for Journal Editor Maureen Flanagan that all of four numbers of Volume I had been published and that the editor was on track to publish Volume II, No. 1 on schedule. Professor Flanagan had reported her decision to step down with the completion of Volume II, the beginning of 2004. The Journal is now being indexed by ABC Clio. There was some discussion of E-Text publication, but no decision has been made. To date, there had been 21 submissions, 4 accepted, 5 rejected, 5 sent back with a suggestion to re-submit, and the others under evaluation. The peer review processes has been, at best, difficult.

Allan Lessoff, Newsletter Editor, reported that the Newsletter has been sent to institutional subscribers, as well as to all members.

President Campbell suggested that Journal and memberships should be mailed earlier than December. The Council endorsed his observation.

Vice President, President-Elect, and Program Chair, Professor Donna Gabaccia reported that programs for the current AHA Meeting had been arranged before her election, but that she was moving ahead with sessions for subsequent meetings. She reported that for the coming year, she had three panels under consideration for the AHA and one for the OAH. She will work with the OAH to improve placement of sessions at those meetings, but it is difficult.

Past President Professor Walter Nugent reported that SHGAPE had been incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) not-

for-profit corporation in Texas. He thanked Professor Phillip VanderMeer for putting him in touch with Mark White, an attorney in Texas for doing the work of incorporating the Society in Texas. The President and Council thanked Professor Nugent for seeing the incorporation through to completion.

It was reported that Notre Dame Professor Vincent DeSantis had made a significant donation to SHAPE. It was suggested that the fund be used to begin an Endowment Fund for the Society. Professor Nugent agreed to talk with DeSantis to see if that was acceptable to him.

President Campbell reported that he would continue to work with the OAH to help establish a better working relationship between SHGAPE and the OAH. He indicated that would consult with other special interest historical societies in an effort to establish more workable relationships at annual meetings between the OAH and other Societies.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Professor Thomas Schoonover reported the results of the recent election of new Council members. Those elected to three-year terms, beginning in 2003 are: Professor John Buenker, University of Wisconsin-Parkside; Professor Kristin Hoganson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Thomas Winter, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey. Professor Campbell announced that Shannon L. Parsley, American University, had accepted appointment to the Council as the Graduate Representative.

President Campbell announced committee memberships as follows:

Nominating Committee

Julie Greene, Colorado

Jack Reynolds, University of Texas, San Antonio

Kriste Lindenmeyer, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Philip VanderMeer, Arizona State University

Article Prize Committee

Jackie Moore, Chair, Austin College

David Igler, University of Utah

Donna Gabaccia, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

President Campbell announced that he would be reducing the H-SHGAPE Editorial Board to nine members as terms expired and new appointments were required. The complete roster of SHGAPE Committees will appear in the Spring issue of the SHGAPE Newsletter.

President Campbell also reported that the Secretary-Treasurer for SHGAPE would be retiring after the OAH meeting in April and it was time to begin thinking about a successor. He also indicated that he thought the title Secretary-Treasurer may no longer be appropriate. He indicated that the Secretary-Treasurer actually functions as a de facto Executive director and perhaps a new title ought to reflect that.

There was a review of ways to increase subscribers to the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era President Campbell indicated that it would be appropriate to solicit chairs of history departments at research institutions across the nation.

The Council adjourned at 6:35 p.m. to attend the SHGAPE Reception.

Respectfully Submitted

Roger D. Bridges

Secretary