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 7, 2005
President Donna Gabaccia, University of Pittsburgh, called the council Meeting of the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era to order at 5:30 pm, January 7, 2005 during the Seattle meeting of AHA. In addition to President Gabaccia, the following SHGAPE Council and other members attended the meeting: Nancy Unger, Santa Clara University; Wyatt Evans, Drew University; Ellen Litwicki, SUNY Fredonia; Alan Lessoff, Illinois State University; Murney Gerlach, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center; Roger D. Bridges, Abraham Lincoln Association; Kevin Kern, University of Akron; Kim Phillips, College of William and Mary; Gordon Bakken, CSU Fullerton; and Karen Cox, UNC Charlotte.
Announcements
President Gabaccia announced the following changes, additions, appointments and reappointments:
New members of council (2005-2008): Gordon Bakken California State University, Fullerton; Eric Rauchway, University of California Davis; Rebecca Edwards Vassar College.
Appointments and Reappointments
Prize Committee (chaired by Jackie Moore): David Blanke and Christopher Cappozzola
Membership Committee: reappointment of Chair Skip Hyser; new member Maureen Fitzgerald, College of William and Mary.
Nominating Committee: New member, David B. Danbom, North Dakota State University.
Executive Board of JGAPE: New members at large – Ruth Crocker, Auburn University; Nancy Unger, Santa Clara University.
Program Committee: New member Terry Seipt, Southern California University
H-SHGAPE Editorial Board: List editors Linda Eikmeier Endersby, Thomas Edison Papers, Rutgers; Kimberly K. Porter, University of North Dakota; Russell Johnson, University of Otago (Dunedin New Zealand)
Approval of March
minutes
Motion was made to approve the minutes of the March 26, 2004 meeting. Seconded and unanimously approved.
Reports and Discussions
Financial Report
(Murney Gerlach)
Copies of the financial report were circulated indicating a growth in reserves (up $1000) and a better cash flow. Membership income is up, and the assistance of Illinois State University has benefited the publication of the JGAPE. The report suggests that the overall financial health of SHGAPE is strong.
Program Committee
(Peter Argersinger)
The committee produced full SHGAPE programs for both the 2005 AHA meeting in Seattle and the OAH meeting in San Francisco (now San Jose). Each convention will host six complete SHGAPE sessions. The OAH meeting will have four independent and two co-sponsored panels. Planning is underway to arrange SHGAPE panels for the 2006 meetings of AHA and OAH. A call for papers has gone out through H-Net.
Newsletter report
(David Blanke)
Copies of the report were circulated and it was suggested that there be better coordination with the organization’s listserv, H-SHGAPE, to publicize the organization’s activities. That being said, 425 copies of both 2004 issues were printed, and David Blanke suggested that an additional 25-30 copies per issue should be printed in order to meet the demands of a shifting subscriber base.
Report on Membership
(Skip Hyser)
SHGAPE has 323 members, of whom 234 are individuals, 42 are students, and 47 are institutional memberships. 2005 renewal letters were sent out in January 2005.
H-SHGAPE (Wyatt
Evans)
Copies of the report were circulated. The report revealed that the list currently has about 875 subscribers. Postings to the list average about 1.1 per day, but compared to the previous year represents a 35% decrease in traffic. Similarly for 2004, only 2 book reviews were posted to H-SHGAPE (as compared to 0 in 2003 and 20 in 2002). There was much discussion on the need to revive the list, and SHGAPE members are asked to email Wyatt with ideas about how to reinvigorate the list. It is also recommended that there be better communication through the list by way of responding to the queries of the editors. Recommendations also include increasing the quantity and quality of book reviews and to review and update the H-SHGAPE webpages.
BrANCH Initiative
(verbal report, Alan Lessoff)
The organization of British American 19thc. Historians and SHGAPE will work together to organize panels for their conference in October 2005. SHGAPE has offered to assist in pulling together three to four sessions.
JGAPE (Alan Lessoff)
Alan reported that the effort to encourage submissions to the journal has been so successful that there’s a backlog of articles for publication. Working with the History Cooperative has been helpful. In order to increase the number of institutional subscriptions, it is recommended that there be a distribution of fliers to that effect. As journal editor, Alan has been instrumental in developing a draft of a plagiarism policy (circulated at the meeting). The policy will be presented at the Conference of Historical Journals to address the issue of how journals are to deal with plagiarism cases. On another front, back issues of JGAPE are available from the Hayes Center.
Graduate Student
Report
President Gabaccia wants suggestions for a graduate student liaison. Kimberly Phillips will follow up.
Council
Approval/Resolutions
Approved: Julie Greene, Harold Platt, and Judy Raftery appointed to a new four-year term on the JGAPE editorial board.
Approved: Nina Mjagkij as a new member of the JGAPE editorial board
Approved: Victoria Brown awarded life membership in SHGAPE as founding editor of book reviews.
Approved: $107 remaining from the fund donated to purchase farewell gifts for the former editors to be donated to the endowment fund.
Approved: JGAPE’ membership in the History Cooperative be renewed for 2005 and that the editor will work with the HC to “gate” the journal for subscribers only as a way to improve institutional memberships.
Approved: That JGAPE editor be authorized up to $2000 for operating expenses to be supplied to the editor, the receipts and expense report to periodically be filed with the Hayes Center.
Emerging Issues
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 pm and members of the Council moved to a general reception that immediately followed.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen L. Cox
Acting Secretary