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Page 355

The regular quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Historical Society convened in the Historical building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 29, 1937, at 10:00 A. M. with Judge Thomas H. Doyle, President, presiding.

The Secretary called the roll which showed the following members present: Gen. Charles. F. Barrett, Dr. E. E. Dale, Judge Thomas H. Doyle, Judge Thomas A. Edwards, Dr. Grant Foreman, Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour, Judge Samuel W. Hayes, Judge Robert A. Hefner, Gen. William S. Key, Mrs. Frank Korn, Col. A. N. Leecraft, Mr. John B. Meserve, Mrs. Jessie E. Moore, Mr. W. J. Peterson, Mr. Jasper Sipes, Judge Baxter Taylor, Dr. Joseph B. Thoburn, Judge William P. Thompson, Mrs. John R. Williams, Judge R. L. Williams, and the Secretary, James W. Moffitt.

The reading of the minutes of the Board meeting held January 28, 1937, was dispensed with on motion of Judge R. L. Williams. Judge R. L. Williams presented for the archives of the Society a volume of genealogical data and correspondence of the late Judge Phillip Doddridge Brewer, from his widow who is now deceased, delivered to him by her during her life time to be ultimately placed in its archives. Judge Robert A. Hefner moved that this correspondence be so accepted, catalogued, indexed and placed in a vault. Motion was seconded and carried. Judge R. L. Williams presented for the archives a volume of papers relating to the late Jack (John E.) Love, to be catalogued, indexed and placed in a vault. Mr. W. J. Peterson moved that these papers be so received. Motion was seconded and carried.

Judge R. L. Williams presented a collection of material including a set of questionnaires from members of the Constitutional Convention, to be catalogued, indexed and placed in a vault, and asked that the Secretary be requested to get in touch with the family of Ben F. Lee and secure data relating to his life, also of Thad Rice and Jake Alderson. Motion that same be so received and that the Secretary be so instructed was seconded and carried.

Judge R. L. Williams read a letter from W. A. Chase and presented a medal to the Society which is a memento of the Presidential campaign of 1896. Colonel A. N. Leecraft moved that this medal be accepted and that an expression of thanks be tendered the donor. Motion was seconded and carried.

Judge R. L. Williams presented a photostat copy of a letter dated 1833, reminiscent of the early days in Texas, especially as to David Crockett, as related by N. C. Duncan, of Wheelock, Texas, a veteran of the Mexican War, which, upon motion duly seconded, was received with a vote of thanks.

Judge R. L. Williams presented to the Treasurer of the Society a check for $7.45, a refund of money paid out on the Robert M. Jones cemetery project. Judge R. L. Williams moved that the balance of the $460 set aside for the Robert M. Jones cemetery project, namely $383.42, be set over to the Sequoyah fund to be used by the committee composed of Judge R. L. Williams, Dr. Grant Foreman and Mr. W. W. Hastings as to matters pertaining to that. Motion was seconded and carried.

Judge R. L. Williams moved that John E. Tidwell be allowed $16 for traveling expenses heretofore incurred in soliciting funds for the Se-

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quoyah memorial, to be paid out of the balance of the $383.42. Motion was seconded and carried.

Mrs. Jessie E. Moore reported on the restoration of the old Chickasaw council house at Tishomingo, and read a letter from M. C. Courtney, Professor of Industrial Arts of the Murray School of Agriculture, explaining what is to be done to complete the restoration of this building. Judge R. L. Williams moved that Mrs. Jessie E. Moore, Gen. William S. Key and the Secretary take this project up with the Works Progress Administration and endeavor to have this work done as a government project as a Chickasaw memorial. Motion was seconded and carried.

Judge R. L. Williams moved that the Hugo Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy be requested to act as custodians of The Robert M. Jones Cemetery memorial. Motion was seconded and carried.

Colonel A. N. Leecraft moved that J. R. Emsinger be allowed to live in the custodian's house in return for his services as custodian until July 1, 1938. Motion was seconded and carried.

Colonel A. N. Leecraft read a letter from Mrs. G. A. Crossett regarding the restoration of a well of some historical note on her allotment, and asked the Historical Society to sponsor this project so that deed for this tract might pass to the Society as sponsor. Judge R. L. Williams moved that Col. A. N. Leecraft and Mrs. G. A. Crossett be appointed a committee to look after this and take title to this tract in the name of the Oklahoma Historical Society without the Society being responsible in any way financially. Motion was seconded and carried.

Colonel A. N. Leecraft requested that the Society accept as a loan two dresses owned by his sister Mrs. D. G. Dumas of Fort Worth, Texas without the Society being liable or responsible in any way. Mrs. Jessie E. Moore moved that the loan of these two dresses be accepted and a tender of thanks be rendered to Colonel Leecraft. Motion was seconded and carried.

Judge Samuel W. Hayes moved that the Society adopt a standard form for receiving loan of articles. Motion was seconded and carried. The Chair appointed Judge Hayes to prepare this form for the Secretary.

Mr. W. J. Peterson transmitted to the Society an autographed copy of Ex-Governor William H. Murray's Book entitled The Rights of Americans and moved that it be accepted and the Secretary be instructed to write a letter of thanks to the donor. Motion was seconded and carried.

Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour, chairman of the historical essay contest, read her report, setting forth the winners as follows:

Bob Newman, Tulsa, "Homestead," 1st prize............................	$25.00
Mary Catherine Sturgis, Oklahoma City, "Rt. Rev. Theophile       Meerschaert,"  2nd prize..................................................	20.00
Grace Boevers, Oklahoma City, "Biography of Isaac McCoy,"       3rd prize.........................................................................	15.00
Helen Cinnamon, Garber, "True Stories of Experiences,"       4th prize..........................................................................	10.00
Mary Margaret Hillard, Oklahoma City, "The 101 Ranch,"       5th prize..........................................................................	5.00

Dr. Harbour moved the adoption of this report, the prize money to be sent to these students. Motion was seconded and carried.

Mr. John B. Meserve presented a picture of the Chiefs and leaders of the Creeks, gift of Mrs. Robert Fry, and moved that it be accepted and that the Secretary be directed to express our appreciation of this gift. Motion was seconded and carried.

The President presented Mr. Murray Gibbons, representative for the Oklahoma City chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy, No. 1181,

Page 357

who requested the use of the patriotic room and kitchenette for their meetings. Judge Samuel W. Hayes moved that there be appointed a standing committee of five whose duty it shall be to make recommendations and report on these rooms under consideration, and that this request of the Oklahoma City chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy be referred to this committee to give a report. Motion was seconded and carried. The Chair appointed Judge Robert A. Hefner, chairman; Judge Samuel W. Hayes, Mrs. Frank Korn, Gen. Charles F. Barrett and Judge Baxter Taylor. Judge R. L. Williams moved, that until this committee reports and it is acted upon, that the Oklahoma City chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy be allowed to use the kitchenette. Motion was seconded and carried and the motion was adopted.

Judge R. L. Williams discussed a large lake in Muskogee County that is being constructed by the Resettlement Administration and read a resolution asking the Historical Society to sponsor the name of Montfort Stokes Lake, in commemoration of the life of one of the greatest pioneers, public servants and personages in Oklahoma pioneer history, and moved the adoption of this resolution. Motion was seconded and unanimously carried.

Judge William P. Thompson moved that the election of a permanent librarian be postponed until the next regular meeting of the Board. Motion was seconded and carried.

Dr. Foreman tendered a manuscript which had been copied by Winifred Clark, purporting to be a copy of the Seminole laws, translated by G. T. Grayson and furnished the U. S. Indian inspector. Judge R. L. Williams moved that a committee consisting of Judge Robert A. Hefner, Judge Samuel W. Hayes and Dr. Grant Foreman be appointed to have the authenticity of this manuscript verified so that if accepted by the Society it can be admitted as evidence in the courts. Motion was seconded and carried. Judge R. L. Williams moved that this committee be authorized to present claim for expense incurred in this verification, to the Treasurer for payment. Motion was seconded and carried.

Dr. Grant Foreman transmitted to the Society the field notes of the survey of the Indian Meridian between the 5th and 6th standard parallels north in Oklahoma Territory, made by Richard Nevins, Jr., civil engineer and surveyor, the gift of Mrs. M. R. Tidwell, Jr., and requested that they be accepted and that the Secretary convey the thanks of the Society to Mrs. Tidwell. On motion, duly seconded, same was accepted and donor thanked.

Judge R. L. Williams moved that the Secretary be authorized to sign releases at the completion of the Robert M. Jones cemetery project and the Sequoyah house and wall projects, when a majority of the committee signs a statement that such projects have been completed. Motion was seconded and carried.

Dr. Grant Foreman presented to the Society a copy of the first issue of the Indian Sentinel, published at Webbers Falls, I. T., April 9, 1890. On motion, and second, same was accepted with thanks.

Dr. Grant Foreman made a report on the WPA project that is sponsored by the Society for indexing and cataloguing newspapers. He presented Mrs. Edith Clift, supervisor, who explained the need for more funds. Judge R. L. Williams moved that steps be taken to have $400 of the 1938 Funds appropriated for the Oklahoma Historical Society, transferred from Account No. 21 to Account No. 19 (Office Supplies) for the purpose of furnishing supplies for said WPA project, sponsored by the Oklahoma Historical Society, in addition to the supplies that are already on hand for this purpose. Motion was seconded by Judge Samuel W. Hayes and unanimously carried. Judge R. L. Williams moved that when these papers come in under this project that same be placed in a separate file

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or compartment to be known as the Grant Foreman papers. Motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Dr. Grant Foreman presented the matter of back rent on typewriters, amounting to $22.50 and $36. General William S. Key moved that the Society pay one half of this amount, conditioned the University of Oklahoma pay the other half and that the Secretary write a letter to the University of Oklahoma to that effect. Motion was seconded and carried. General William S. Key moved that we authorize the Secretary to prepare a new project for the continuation of the Indian-Pioneer project, and that the Society will, as sponsors, contribute $150 and that the University will contribute a like amount, but, if the University refused the Society to proceed alone, and that we authorize the payment of same. Motion was seconded by Mrs. Jessie E. Moore and carried.

Mrs. John R. Williams, chairman of the portrait committee presented the portraits of Ex-Gov. M. E. Trapp, and Ex-Gov. William J. Holloway, and the photograph of Elmer E. Fulton, member of the Sixty-third Congress from Oklahoma, a gift of his wife; also the photograph of Mr. John B. Meserve. Upon motion, duly seconded, they were received.

Mrs. John R. Williams, chairman of the membership committee, presented the following list of applicants for annual membership in the Society:

Mrs. Pearl H. Austin, Chickasha; J. T. Bailey, Cordell; Elmer Floyd Banion, Independence, Kansas; Mrs. Lena F. Barnard, Tulsa; George Berchek, St. Louis, Mo.; Mrs. Ellen M. Caldwell, Fallis; Going Back Chiltoskey, Cherokee, N. Car.; Harry James Dougherty, Oklahoma City; Cornelia Eastland, Edmond; Dr. Lillian E. Fisher, Chickasha; J. I. Gibson, Oklahoma City; Mrs. W. W. Horne, Chickasha; Mrs. J. A. Hyndman, Chickasha; Leslie Kendall, Oklahoma City; Kathleen Kirk, Tulsa; Louise R. Klein, Oklahoma City; Mrs. Pearl M. Matheson, Akins; Mrs. Flora A. McCroskey, Oklahoma City; E. C. McMichael, Sulphur; Mrs. Margaretta Netzel, Chickasha; E. J. Phelps, Muskogee; E. F. Raasch, Bessie; Mrs. Eloise M. Roberts, Alva; Emmett Lee Rodman, Antlers; Mrs. Meta Chestnut Sager, Chickasha; Mrs. F. L. Schaub, Muskogee; Mrs. Oliver A. Sewell, Coweta; Mrs. Anna Peterson Shartall, Porter; Mrs. Ida May Sherman, Chickasha; Mrs. Pauline Simpson, Lawton; Mrs. Elsie Huey Stanard, Oklahoma City, S. F. Veasey, Oklahoma City. The name of Oscar E. Brewster, of Crescent, Secretary of the Cherokee Strip Cow Punchers Association was presented for honorary membership. Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour moved that they be received as members of the Society. Motion was seconded and carried.

Roy Caldwell of McAlester, presented a photograph of the late W. B. McAlester, which upon motion was accepted and the donor thanked for the photograph.

Mrs. Jessie E. Moore discussed the Commons diary and moved that the Secretary be directed to ask Senator Commons for permission to make photostat copies of his grandfather's diary of his trip to California. Motion was seconded and carried.

The picture of Col. A. N. Leecraft was presented; Dr. Harbour moved that it be accepted and that the donor be thanked. Motion was seconded and carried.

Upon motion of W. J. Peterson the meeting stood adjourned.

Judge Thomas H. Doyle, President,
Presiding.

James W. Moffitt, Secretary.

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