SHGAPE Council Minutes
March 31, 1995

President Robert W. Cherny called the Council of the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era to order at 4:00 p.m., March 31, 1995, in the Farragut Room, Washington Hilton & Towers, Washington, DC.. Present were officers, council members and SHGAPE members Kathryn Kish Sklar, Charles Calhoun, Robert W. Cherny, Roger Daniels, Leon Fink, Robert A. Harris, M. Les Benedict, Donna Gabaccia, Kriste Lindenmeyer, and Roger D. Bridges.

Roger Daniels moved the adoption of the Agenda; seconded by Leon Fink. Approved.

Kathryn Kish Sklar moved the approved of the Minutes of January 6, 1995, as distributed, seconded by Michael Les Benedict. Approved.

Secretary-Treasurer Bridges reported the checkbook balance as of March 22, 1995, at $3,985.99. Roger Daniels moved acceptance of the Treasurer's Report. Second by Donna Gabbaccia. Approved.

Robert Cherny reported that there were 415 subscribing members to H-SHGAPE and that he and Kriste Lindenmeyer continued to serve as moderators. Roger Daniels moved, seconded by Donna Gabbaccia that the report be accepted. Approved. Cherny reported that he will in the near future appoint a third or fourth SHGAPE member to serve as co-moderator of H-SHGAPE. He then appointed Donna Gabaccia chair (term expires 4/96) of the H-SHGAPE Editorial Board.

Roger Daniels moved, seconded by Donna Gabbaccia that the term moderator be changed to editor in bylaw 8. Approved.

Ruth Crocker reported for the Prize Committee that there had been 12 submissions to date. Announcements had been distributed to appropriate scholarly journals and history departments. The deadline for nominations and submissions is December 1, 1995. The committee will bring a revised description to the Council at the AHA meeting for discussion and action.

Andy Fry reported that he had continued to seek ways to distribute membership material and the promote membership at regional meetings.

Motion made, seconded and passed to approve a new bylaw on Standing Committees:

9. Committees

SHGAPE shall have the following standing committees in addition to the Nominating Committee. The Council may also create such ad hoc committees as it sees fit.

a. Membership. The membership committee shall publicize SHGAPE and seek to expand its membership. The president shall select the chair of the membership committee and announce the appointment during the Council meeting held during the OAH annual meeting.

b. Program. The program committee shall be chaired by the Vice President and consist of three members in addition to the chair, serving terms coincident with that of the Vice President. The committee shall be responsible for promoting and cosponsoring sessions at the meetings of scholarly associations and taking other measures to develop scholarly programs on the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.

c. Distinguished Speaker. The distinguished speaker committee shall consist of the immediate past president, the current president, and the president-elect of the Society, to be chaired by the immediate past president. The committee shall designate a distinguished speaker to address the luncheon meeting of the Society, held at the annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians, in even-numbered years beginning in 1998. The designated speaker will receive a complementary invitation to the luncheon for himself or herself and a companion and a commemorative plaque or certificate.

President Cherny appointed the following to the 1996 Program Committee for the AHA and the OAH Programs: Michael Les Benedict, The Ohio State University, Chairman; Leon Fink, University of North Carolina--Charlotte, and Judith Sealander, Bowling Green State University.

President Cherny announced that the Prize Committee consisted of: Ruth Crocker, Auburn University, Chair (term expires 4/96); Thomas Rosenbaum, Rockefeller Archives (term expires 4/97); and Nina Mjagkij (terms expires 4/98).

President Cherny announced the following Nominating Committee: Marjorie Spruill Wheeler, University of Southern Mississippi, Chair (term expires 1/96); William Link, University of North Carolina, Greeensboro (term expires 1/97); Maureen Flanagan, Michigan State University (term expires 1/98).

The Council received as a guest Arnita Jones from the OAH who responded sympathetically to SHGAPE's request to restore a "Gilded Age and Progressive Era" category to the OAH membership

The Council then adjourned for the SHGAPE Reception.

Respectfully Submitted,

Roger D. Bridges
Secretary-Treasurer

Approved 01/05/96