SHGAPE Council Minutes
December 29, 1989

President Leslie H. Fishel, Jr., called the Council of the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era to order at approximately 5:00 p.m., December 29, 1989, in the San Francisco Hilton, at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association. The following Board Members and interested members were present: Fishel, Roger Daniels, Charles W. Calhoun, Worth Miller, Robert Cherny, Fred Ragan, Roger D. Bridges, and John Dobson.

Secretary-Treasurer Bridges reported that as of December 26 SHGAPE had 25 dues- paying members (and several new members had joined during the day). He reported that the Society had received a $500 gift which had been used to defray the cost of printing and mailing the recent appeal for membership and program announcements. The balance in the treasury after deducting $15.00 each for 11 member subscriptions to the Hayes Historical Journal, was $553.87.

After a brief discussion, the officers of the SHGAPE agreed to draft by-laws for the organization and submit them to the Council for consideration at the next meeting in Washington, D.C. during the annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians.

Following a lengthy discussion of a possible newsletter, it was agreed that one should be established. Patrick Reagan of Tennessee Technological University was among those whose name was suggested as a possible editor for the newsletter which should come out at least twice a year in the beginning. The newsletter should contain an appeal for membership, contain information about what people are doing, contain notices about upcoming meetings of interest to members, suggest new and little used sources for research in the field, and contain an article of interest by an acknowledged expert in some field related to SHGAPE's interests. It was agreed that the first issue should be in the mail by September 1990. It was suggested, also, that members should be solicited for news for the first newsletter.

There was a lengthy discussion about the desirability and feasibility of offering a SHGAPE sponsored prize in order to increase interest in the new organization. It was agreed that the matter would be discussed again at the OAH meeting and that a committee would be appointed to pursue the matter at that meeting.

The Council noted with regret the death of Council Member Richard Welch. On motion by Daniels, seconded by Calhoun, John Dobson was unanimously elected to the Council. Members urged that the forthcoming newsletter should contain an obituary of Welch. Another suggested that a prize named for him be established. The matter was taken under advisement.

The Council received a proposal from Priscilla Ferguson Clement that SHGAPE endorse STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL: U.S. WORKING-CLASS WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE, WELFARE SYSTEM, AND FAMILY ECONOMY, 1900 TO 1940, submitted to the AHA program committee. After discussion, the Council endorsed the program and agreed to have the session as the SHGAPE program if not accepted by the AHA committee for the 1990 annual meeting. President Fishel will inquire about means to jointly sponsor sessions at the AHA and OAH meetings. He was also to inquire of the Southern Historical Association about the possibility of sponsoring a session or sessions at its annual meetings. Vice President Calhoun announced that he had made application for the Society to enter into formal affiliation with the American Historical Association.

With no further business to come before the Council, it adjourned to meet on call of the President at the annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians in March 1990 in Washington, D.C.

Respectfully Submitted,

Roger D. Bridges
Secretary-Treasurer