Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era

Bylaws
(as amended April, 2007)

  1. Dues. The annual dues of the Society shall be established by the Council, currently $40 per year, $50 per couple for joint membership, $60 for Sustaining Members, $100 for Patrons, and $80 for libraries and other institutions, subject to the decision of the General Meeting in the same manner as all other matters, and shall be payable to the Society by January 1 of each year. Payment of five hundred dollars ($500.00) shall entitle anyone to life membership in the Society, free of all further payment of dues.

  2. Duties of the Secretary and the Treasurer.
    1. The specific duties of the Secretary shall include:
      1. oversight of maintenance of membership records as performed by Hayes Center staff.
      2. recording minutes of Society and council meetings, and such committee meetings as directed by the President.
      3. all other matters deemed necessary by the President for the successful operation of the Society.
    2. The specific duties of the Treasurer shall include:
      1. oversight of the collection of annual dues by Hayes Center staff.
      2. oversight of the maintenance of proper financial records by Hayes Center staff and preparation of such records as are required.
      3. oversight of the disbursing of funds and payment of obligations of the Society.
      4. all other matters deemed necessary by the President for the successful operation of the Society.

  3. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consist of four persons, one selected each year at its annual meeting, by the Council from the membership of the Society, at least one of whose members shall be a member of the Council. After due deliberation and consultation with the Society membership, each year the Nominating Committee shall create a slate of nominees for seats on the Council; each even-numbered year the Nominating Committee shall create a slate of nominees for the positions of Secretary and Treasurer; and each odd-numbered year the Nominating Committee shall create a slate of nominees for the positions of Vice President/ President –Elect and such other elective offices as hereafter may be created. Committee members shall serve three calendar years.

  4. Elections. On or before October 15 of each year, the Nominating Committee will present to the President and the Membership Committee a slate of nominees for offices to be filled for election that year. On or about November 1 the Chair of the Membership Committee, working with Hayes Center Staff, shall mail to the membership a ballot for the election of Officers. The Hayes Center Staff shall count all ballots received by December 1 and shall report the results of the election to the President who will announce the results to the Council. The new Officers and Councilors shall assume their positions on January 1.

  5. Council Meetings. The Council shall meet during the Annual Meeting of the Organization of American Historians. Additional council meetings may be conducted by email or teleconferencing. The President may call additional meetings as necessary; the Secretary shall call a meeting within thirty days if directed to do so by at least five elected members of the Council. For all Council meetings, the quorum shall consist of four elected members unless some positions are vacant, in which case the quorum shall be three. The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the three members of the Council in their last year of service shall constitute an Executive Committee of the Council, empowered to consider questions that must be decided before the next meeting of the Council.

  6. Annual Meeting. The Society Annual Meeting shall occur in conjunction with the Council Meeting at the Annual Meeting of the Organization of American Historians. A quorum shall consist of ten members in good standing.

  7. Vacancies in Office. If a Council seat should become vacant, it shall remain so until the next election, when a Council Member shall be elected to serve the remainder of that term. If the office of the Secretary or the Treasurer should become vacant, the President shall appoint an Acting Secretary and/or Acting Treasurer to serve until the next Council meeting. If the office of Vice-President/President-Elect should become vacant, the term of the President shall be extended as necessary until a successor is elected. If the offices of President and Vice-President should both become vacant, the Secretary shall become Acting President until a President is elected. In these circumstances, the Secretary and Nominating Committee are to hold a special election.

  8. H-SHGAPE:
    1. Definition:  H-SHGAPE is the e-mail discussion list for the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, sponsored jointly by SHGAPE and H-Net.
    2. Editorial Board:  Members of the H-SHGAPE Editorial Board are appointed for three-year, overlapping terms, with reappointment possible.  At the annual meeting of the SHGAPE Council, the SHGAPE President shall nominate for the Council's approval one member of the Board to serve as its Chair for the following year and a list of proposed Editorial Board members for the coming three-year term.  The President, Secretary, and Treasurer of SHGAPE are members of the Editorial Board ex officio.  Editorial Board members should be SHGAPE members.  Editorial Board members are appointed subject to approval by H-Net.
    3. The Chair of the Editorial Board shall coordinate deliberations relating to the appointment of Editors.
    4. Editors:  At the annual meeting of the council, the Editorial Board shall recommend H-SHGAPE Editors for two-year, overlapping terms.  Editors may be reappointed.  Editors are appointed subject to approval by H-Net.
    5. Webmaster:  SHGAPE shall appoint a Webmaster, who shall design and manage H-SHGAPE's Web pages.  The list Editors shall recommend a nominee to H-SHGAPE's Editorial Board to serve as Webmaster.  The Chair of the Editorial Board shall present the name of the nominee to the Council for confirmation.  The Webmaster is appointed for a two year term beginning at the annual meeting of the Council, which is renewable.  The Webmaster should be a member of SHGAPE.
    6. Book Review Editor:
      1. the Book Review Editor is responsible for managing H-SHGAPE’s book review process.
      2. The list editors shall recommend a nominee to H-SHGAPE's Editorial Board to serve as the Book Review Editor.  The chair of the Editorial Board shall present the name of the nominee to the Council for confirmation.
      3. The initial term of office for the Book Review Editor is one year, beginning at the OAH meeting of the Council, and is renewable for two year terms, or a shorter length of time as negotiated with the list editors.
      4. The Book Review Editor will appoint corresponding editors, who are knowledgeable in subfields of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.  The editor assigns duties to corresponding editors and draws on their assistance as the editor deems appropriate.  Corresponding editors serve at the pleasure of the book review editor.
      5. The Book Review Editor and the corresponding editors shall be members of SHGAPE.
  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.

    1. 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 annual meeting.
    2. Program Committee . The Vice-President will appoint a program committee as desired to assist in the planning and publicizing of SHGAPE—sponsored and co-sponsored panels, along with other Society activities, at the annual meetings of the Organization of American Historians and the American Historical Association. As Chair of the Program Committee, the Vice-President will, with the assistance of the Hayes Center staff, make arrangements for meetings and sessions of the Society at both annual meetings.
    3. Distinguished Historian: The Distinguished Historian 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 Historian of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, who will address the luncheon meeting of the Society held at the meeting of the Organization of American Historians, in odd-numbered years beginning in 1997. The Distinguished Historian will receive two complimentary invitations to the luncheon, a commemorative plaque or certificate, and an honorarium.
    4. Fishel-Calhoun Prize: The Fishel-Calhoun Prize Committee shall consist of three SHGAPE members serving two-year terms. The President shall appoint the members of the committee and designate one as chair. The President shall announce the appointments at the SHGAPE Council meeting held during the OAH annual meeting. Upon conclusion of the two-year term the President shall designate one of the members at large of the committee to serve as its chair for the subsequent two-year term. The Fishel-Calhoun Prize is awarded biennially to the author of the best published article treating any aspect of U.S. history in the period 1865-1917; eligibility is open to graduate students and any scholar who had not yet published a book at the time it appeared. Articles appearing in journals dated during the two years preceding the year of the award are eligible. The committee shall publicize the Prize, set deadlines for submission, determine the winning article, and announce the recipient at the annual luncheon held during the annual meeting during even-numbered years. The winner of the prize receives an honorarium.
    5. Vincent DeSantis Prize: The Vincent DeSantis Prize Committee shall consist of three SHGAPE members serving two-year terms. The President shall appoint the members of the committee, designate one as chair, and announce the appointments at the annual SHGAPE Council meeting [at the OAH]. The DeSantis Prize is awarded in odd-numbered years to the author of the best book treating any aspect of U.S. history in the period 1865-1917 published during the two years preceding the year of the award, with eligibility restricted to scholars who have not previously published a book. The committee shall publicize the Prize, set deadlines for submission, determine the winning book, and announce the recipient at the SHGAPE annual luncheon in odd-numbered years. The winner of the prize receives a certificate and an honorarium.
    6. Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era Best Article Prize. The JGAPE Best Article Prize Committee shall consist of three SHGAPE members serving two year terms. The President shall appoint the members of the committee, designate one as chair, and announce the appointments at the annual SHGAPE Council meeting [at the OAH]. The Prize is awarded in even numbered years to the author of the best article published in The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era during the two years preceding the year of the award. The committee shall determine the winning article and announce the recipient at the SHGAPE annual luncheon in even-numbered years. The winner of the prize receives a certificate and an honorarium.
  10. Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.
    1. Definition: The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (short title: JGAPE) is the official journal of the Society.
    2. Editorial Board (adopted at AHA 2004): The JGAPE Editorial Board has sixteen members, appointed by the President of the Society on the advice of the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal. The term of appointment is four years, beginning in January. Editorial Board members may be reappointed.
    3. Editors: The Editor-in-Chief is appointed by the President of the Society, with the concurrence of the Council, for a term of five years, which may be renewed. The Book Review Editor is appointed by the President, on the advice of the Editor-in-Chief, for a term of five years, which may be renewed.
    4. Executive Board: The Executive Board shall have responsibility for financial and publishing aspects of the Journal and its relations with and support from the Society. The Executive Board consists of the President, President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer, a representative of the Hayes Presidential Center, and the Editor-in-Chief, all ex officio.
    5. Publisher: Upon the advice of the Editor-in-Chief, and with the approval of the Executive Board, the President shall appoint a publisher, for a term of negotiable length.
  11. The SHGAPE Endowment Fund (adopted at OAH 2003).
    1. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial management of the Endowment Fund, subject to the advice and consent of the SHGAPE Council. The Treasurer shall report on the financial condition of the Fund to the Council meeting at the annual meeting.
    2. The Council shall approve the expenditure of monies in the Endowment Fund. Only the investment gains from the principal of the Fund shall be available for expenditure, except on vote of three-quarters of the Council. The investment gains from the Fund shall not be spent until the Fund's principle exceeds $ 10,000.

  12. Roger D. Bridges Distinguished Service Award (adopted at OAH 2006). Each year the Executive Committee of the Council shall, at its discretion, award the Roger D. Bridges Distinguished Service Award to no more than two members of the Society who have contributed especially valuable and distinguished service to the SHGAPE. The President shall announce the recipient(s) at the annual luncheon held during the annual meeting. The recipient(s) of the award shall receive a commemorative plaque or certificate.

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