Society
for Historians of the Gilded Age
and Progressive Era
MINUTES OF THE JANUARY MEETING AND COUNCIL OF THE SOCIETY
FOR HISTORIANS OF THE GILDED AGE AND PROGRESSIVE ERA,
January 9, 2004
President Ballard Campbell called the Council Meeting of the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era to order at 5:05 p.m., January 9, 2004, at the Washington D.C. Marriott
in the Thomas Paine Room. In addition to President Campbell, Northeastern University, the following SHGAPE Council and other Members attended the meeting: Vice President Donna
Gabaccia, University of Pittsburgh; and Secretary-Treasurer Murney Gerlach, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center.
Additional Council Members present included Professors: JGAPE Editor, Maureen Flanagan, Michigan State University; Kristin Hoganson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; and Graduate Representative Shannon Parsley, American University. Others present included: Ruth Crocker, Auburn University; Kriste Lindenmeyer, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Charles W. Calhoun, East Carolina University; Newsletter Editor, David Blanke, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Alan Lessoff, Illinois State University; Roger D. Bridges, Independent Historian, Illinois; Karen L. Cox, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Membership Chair, Raymond “Skip” Hyser, James Madison University; and C. Wyatt Evans, Drew University.
President Ballard Campbell welcomed the group and following self-introductions, the President welcomed the newly elected Secretary-Treasurer Murney Gerlach, as well as the new JGAPE
Editor Alan Lessoff and the new Editor of the SHGAPE Newsletter David Blanke. He also thanked former Secretary-Treasurer Roger D. Bridges and former JGAPE Editor Maureen Flanagan for their years of service and work well done for SHGAPE. President Campbell also
thanked the Nominating Committee, especially chair, Philip VanderMeer, and “Skip” Hyser of the Membership Committee. Finally, he thanked retiring Council members, James J. Connolly, Nancy C. Unger, and Philip VanderMeer.
Minutes
Professor Gabaccia moved the approval of the Minutes of April 4, 2003. Professor Hoganson
seconded the motion; it passed unanimously.
Elections
President Campbell asked Murney Gerlach to report on the results of the nominations for SHGAPE officers and a count of the ballots that had been returned to him. The President announced that Peter Argersinger, Vice President; Daniel Letwin (Term, January 2004-January 2007); Roger D. Bridges (Term, January 2004-January 2007); and Karen L. Cox (Term, January 2004-January 2007) were unanimously elected to their respective Council offices and terms.
Program Committee
Professor Gabaccia reported on the work of the Program Committee, and the AHA and OAH panels. It was noted that four to six panels or sessions should be sponsored each year, and that the deadlines for the AHA and OAH, were respectively January 15th and February 15th. She also discussed the transition and goals for the new Vice President Peter Argersinger as head of the
programs for 2004.
Finances
Murney Gerlach passed out a financial report for SHGAPE for the end of year December 31, 2003, in which he noted that total liabilities and equity assets were $22,309. The Cash Flow report for the calendar year 2003 indicated that total income was $24,390.60 and total
expenses $15,591.40 with a positive yearly balance of $8,799.20. Dr. Gerlach reported on the primary costs of operations and the accounting procedures that tracked the financial work of SHGAPE, including the work of his assistant Suzanne Darr and Information Systems Manager
Mary Lou Halbeisen.
Membership
“Skip” Hyser reported on membership as chair of the Membership Committee, reviewing renewal information for individuals and institutions. Dr.Gerlach also circulated some information on membership for the years 2002 and 2003 and pointed out that institutional membership has been
steadily rising. In March 2002, there were only 2 institutional members out of a total of 289. By December 2003, 72 out of the 367 total memberships were institutions.
Journal
Maureen Flanagan reported that the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era for January 2004 issue was at the publishers and discussed her final editor’s report for the calender year 2003 which was circulated to the Council. She noted that total Western Publishing and editorial expenses for 12 months were $10,233.17. She also discussed the transition and meetings that she has been having with the new editor Alan Lessoff. There was discussion of the proposed contract with History Cooperative, and the Council was supportive of the online services for the editions of 2002, 2003, and 2004. It was agreed that Dr. Lessoff would continue to negotiate the final costs of the arrangement. He also noted that the Journal had appointed Scott Nelson, Associate Editor, and Karen Cox, Associate Editor for Public History; he circulated a January 2004 Report.
President’s Report
President Ballard Campbell reported that an operating fund had been approved by the Executive Committee for the Editor of the Journal, and a fist installment had been paid of $600.
A proposed change in the number of members for the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Gilded Age & Progressive Era was discussed; expanding the Board from 12 to 16 members. Alan Lessoff discussed the backgrounds and the slate of members for the Board as well as the reasons for their staggered terms. It was unanimously approved by the Council to amend the SHGAPE bylaws to increase the number of JGAPE Board to sixteen members, and to appoint and reconfirm the members for the terms as indicated.
Murney Gerlach, Hayes Pres. Center (Jan. 2008) Eric Rauchway, UC Davis (Jan. 2008)
Axel Schafer, Univ. of Keele (Jan. 2008) Nancy Unger, Santa Clara (Jan. 2008)
Les Benedict, Ohio State Univ. (Jan. 2007) Jack Blocker, Huron College (Jan. 2007)
Ellen Fitzpatrick, New Hampshire (Jan. 2007) Joseph Fry, Nevada-Las Vegas (Jan. 2007)
Charles Calhoun, East Carolina Univ. (Jan. 2006) Ruth Crocker, Auburn (Jan. 2006)
Roger Daniels, Cincinnati (Jan. 2006) Fred Hoxie, Illinois (Jan. 2006)
Julie Greene, Colorado (Jan. 2005) Harold Platt, Loyola-Chicago (Jan. 2005)
Kimberley Phillips, William & Mary (Jan. 2005) Judy Raftery, Cal State Chico (Jan. 2005)
There was discussion of special order issues of the Journal, and the President requested that the
issue be referred to the Executive Committee.
President Campbell also discussed the importance of an organized campaign to build the endowment and it was underlined that it would be important to publicize on the web site and in
articles in the newsletter. Dr. Gerlach reported that there currently was $2,388.95 in the
Endowment Fund. There was discussion of soliciting major gifts or of the possibility of
naming the endowment if a substantial gift were made to SHGAPE.
At this point in the meeting, Donna Gabaccia, Vice President/President Elect assumed the position of President, and she thanked Ballard Campbell for all his dedicated work and leadership for SHGAPE. There was a sustained round of applause and congratulations for Professor Campbell.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 pm, and the members of the Council moved to a general
reception that followed immediately in the Nathan Hale Room of the Marriott.
Respectfully submitted,
Murney Gerlach
Secretary