Chronicles of Oklahoma
Volume 17, No. 4
December, 1939
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
October 26, 1939.
Page 454
The regular quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Historical Society convened in the Historical building,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, October 26, 1939, with Judge Robert L. Williams, President, presiding.
The Secretary called the roll which showed the following members present: Gen. Charles F. Barrett, Judge Harry Campbell, Dr.
E. E. Dale, Hon. John B. Doolin, Judge Thomas H. Doyle, Judge Thomas A. Edwards, Dr. Grant Foreman, Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour,
Judge Robert A. Hefner, Mrs. Frank Korn, Mrs. Jessie E. Moore, Hon. W. J. Peterson, Judge William P. Thompson, Mrs. John R.
Williams, Judge Robert L. Williams and James W. Moffitt, the Secretary.
The following members had notified the Secretary of their inability to attend: Mr. George H. Evans, Mr. James H. Gardner,
Judge Samuel W. Hayes, Gen. William S. Key, Col. A. N. Leecraft, Judge John B. Meserve, Mr. Jasper Sipes, and Judge Baxter
Taylor.
Judge Thomas H. Doyle moved that the reasons given for absence be deemed sufficient and that they be excused, and upon second
by Judge Thomas A. Edwards the motion was carried.
The question of increasing the bond of the Society's Treasurer in the sum of one thousand dollars was discussed, and upon
motion of Hon. John B. Doolin, duly seconded, the increase was approved.
Judge Thomas A. Edwards moved that there be no smoking in the library or any of its adjuncts, the newspaper stack room or
any of its adjuncts, or any of the museums, or in either the Grand Army or Confederate Custodians' rooms, and the various
annexes, and that appropriate printed signs be placed in the various spaces as well as in all halls, setting forth this resolution,
and in addition, that it be the mandatory duty of the Secretary and all employees to see that such prohibition against smoking
not be violated and to so recite in said notice "To promote safety against fire."
The Secretary presented the minutes of the Board meeting held July 27, 1939. Mrs. John R. Williams moved that the reading
of the minutes be passed. Motion was seconded and carried.
The Secretary presented the quarterly reports in writing of Mrs. Laura M. Messenbaugh, custodian of the newspapers; Dr. Joseph
B. Thoburn, custodian of the Union Soldiers' room; Mrs. Helen R. Payne, supervisor of the WPA project for cataloguing and
indexing newspapers, etc.; M. A. Mulholland, chief clerk; Hazel E. Beaty, librarian and Mrs. Rella Looney, archivist. Such
report on the part of the custodian of the Confederate Soldiers' room was requested.
Dr. Grant Foreman moved that the Secretary, with the assistance of the various employees of the Society, bring down to date
the inventory of the property of the Society, thus furnishing a complete inventory and a report relative thereto, and to that
end to be filed quarterly in the future, and if necessary use any other assistance such as WPA workers,
Page 455
if legally available, to make such inventory. Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour seconded same and motion was carried.
Mrs. Jessie E. Moore was named by the President as acting chairman of the house committee, consisting of Mr. Jasper Sipes,
Chairman, and Gen. William S. Key; and Judge William P. Thompson and Judge Baxter Taylor were also added to this committee.
The Secretary reported the following gifts had been received:
(1) Clippings regarding historic sites from Miss Clara A. Ward, Tulsa, which appeared in The Daily Oklahoman and The Tulsa World between May 29, 1932 and March 29, 1939.
(2) Picture of Nelson Chigley from Paul Lynch, Fort Smith.
(3) E. E. Keso, Senatorial Career of Robert L. Owen (Gardenvale, Canada: Garden City Press, 1938), from Dr. E. E. Keso, Edmond.
(4) A sill from old Moravian Mission from Dr. Robert Mitchell, Muskogee, through the assistance of Dr. Grant Foreman and Mr.
Llwyd.
(5) File of the Daily Herald (Oklahoma City), February 27, 1939—May 17, 1939, from Miss Hortense Wilson of the Capitol Hill Beacon.
(6) 1897-1935 file of Friendship, Pottawatomie-Lincoln Association Minutes, from Rev. Hollis Burge, Muskogee.
(7) Picture of early day students of St. Joseph's School, 1906, from Mrs. Joe O'Brien, Oklahoma City.
(8) Gift of a collection of state tax tokens from James W. Eardeley, Queenaborough, New York: New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri,
Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Alabama.
(9) T. H. Reynolds, Economic Aspects of the Monroe Doctrine (Nashville: George Peabody College, 1938). Gift of Dr. T. H. Reynolds,
A. & M. College, Stillwater.
(10) T. U. Taylor, Jesse Chisholm (Bandera, Texas: Frontier Times, 1939). Gift of Dean T. U. Taylor, Austin, Texas.
(11) Proclamation regarding the death of President William McKinley issued by Governor Jenkins, presented by the South Dakota
Historical Society.
(12) A picture of the committee appointed in the fall of 1905 to present to President Theodore Roosevelt a memorial asking
his aid in the matter of statehood: Robert Lowery, Alf Hammer, Senator D. P. Marum, Dr. David R. Boyd, Fred Parkinson, Charles
Hunter, Wm. Anderson, Grant Victor, Wm. S. McCall, Wm. Johnson, Charles G. Jones, and Judge Thomas H. Doyle. Gift of D. D.
Collum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The Secretary read the report on the Fort Gibson property presented by Mr. Harry Lyons and Mr. H. A. von Unwerth.
Hon. John B. Doolin moved that the parties be thanked for this report and that they be asked to continue in this service and
be given supervision of all buildings including the bakery and magazine house and also have possession of the keys to the
buildings. Motion was seconded and carried.
Mrs. John R. Williams was added to the art committee and made chairman since the present chairman, Judge Thomas A. Edwards
asked to be relieved of the chairmanship, he having moved from the city.
The committee for marking historical sites was requested to have a report for the next meeting of the Board.
Page 456
Judge Robert A. Hefner moved that the Secretary of the Commission or some member of the Board of Directors represent the Historical
Society at the meeting of the American Historical Association to be held in Washington, D. C., next December, or some other
party to be so authorized by the President and Secretary. Motion was seconded and carried.
The Secretary read the following list of applicants for membership:
LIFE: Judge Wayne W. Bayless, Oklahoma City; Hon. James Edward Berry, Stillwater; S. C. Boswell, Ada; Judge Fred P. Branson,
Muskogee; Judge Orel Busby, Ada; Mrs. Mary Little Davis, Wewoka; W. A. Delaney, Jr., Ada; Daniel Franklin Fleet, Dallas, Texas;
Joseph Claude Looney, Wewoka; and P. A. Norris, Ada.
ANNUAL: Walter H. Attaway, Bennington; Fred A. Berry, Wewoka; Mrs. George F. Butcher, Edmond; Bruce Gilbert Carter, Wewoka;
Dr. Claude S. Chambers, Seminole; Frank B. Clements, Tulsa J. G. Clift, Duncan; John S. Davenport, Tulsa; Mrs. Reuben Delozier,
Adair; Col. Clarence B. Douglas, El Reno; Harold Bliss Downing, Oklahoma City; Roscoe Farmer, Oklahoma City; Julian Bixby
Fite, Muskogee; Dr. William Patton Fite, Muskogee; Ruth S. Goodbread, Norman; Judge Harry L. S. Halley, Tulsa; Rev. Robert
Hamilton, Okmulgee; Flora Dunlap Haugen, Ponca City; Erastus C. Hopper, Jr., Eufaula; Dr. Edward E. Keso, Edmond; Mrs. A.
B. Kimberly, Tonkawa; Frank J. Krug, Evansville, Indiana; Murrell O. Matthews, Ada; Prof, John Francis McDermott, St. Louis,
Missouri; David S. MacDonald, Jr., Durant; Dora Elizabeth McFarland, Chilocco; Mrs. Helen McMahan, Pond Creek; Murrill McMillan,
Okmulgee; Jacob B. Moore, Ardmore; Mrs. Frank Gordon Munson, Alva; Mrs. Lucile Elzey Noblitt, Oklahoma City; Mrs. W. J. Otjen,
Enid; Chester R. Richards, Tulsa; Mrs. J. R. Shaubell, Tulsa; Mrs. Velma Smith Sheriff, Oklahoma City; Louis G. Stapf, Greenup,
Kentucky; Maude O. Thomas, Beaver; J. Earle Thomson, Hackensack, New Jersey; W. W. Ward, Chelsea; Mrs. O. P. Weston, Castle
Rock, Colorado; Mrs. O. K. Wetzel, Oklahoma City; Joe Whittington, Atoka; Rolland O. Wilson, Oklahoma City and Mrs. Hattie
Lee Work, Durant.
Upon motion of Hon. W. J. Peterson, duly seconded, all were elected to and received into such membership of the Society.
Judge Harry Campbell, who had been appointed to audit the financial statement of the Fort Gibson project, presented his report.
Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour moved that it be accepted and approved. Motion was seconded and carried.
Mrs. Jessie E. Moore moved that the deficit of $11.64 be paid to Dr. Grant Foreman out of the private funds of the Society.
Motion was seconded and carried.
Mrs. Jessie E. Moore moved that Hon. John B. Doolin be added to the committee on Parks for the west side of the State. Motion
was seconded and carried.
Mr. Victor E. Harlow, accompanied by Mr. Arthur W. Gilliland and Mr. Elmer T. Peterson, appeared before the Board to solicit
the aid and co-operation of the Historical Society in celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of Coronado's trip across
the southwest, including Oklahoma.
Mrs. John R. Williams moved that the President appoint a committee of four members of the Board with one member outside the
Board, to determine whether there was any prima facie evidence that Coronado was within the present confines of the State
of Oklahoma on said trip of exploration, and if so to request the Governor to appoint a commission to act with the Historical
Society and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce in sponsoring this celebration in 1941.
Page 457
The President appointed the following committee: Mr. Victor E. Harlow, Chairman; Dr. Grant Foreman, Dr. E. E. Dale, Gen. Charles
F. Barrett and Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour.
Judge Robert A. Hefner moved that the President appoint a research committee to determine as a matter of record the place
and date or dates of the settlement of the Chouteaus in what is now Oklahoma. Motion was seconded and carried.
The President appointed the following committee: Dr. Grant Foreman, Chairman; Dr. E. E. Dale, Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour, Judge
Harry Campbell and Judge William P. Thompson.
Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour moved that the aerial map of the Chisholm Trail, presented to the Society by Mr. James H. Gardner,
be framed and paid for out of the state funds. Motion was seconded and carried.
Dr. E. E. Heflin appeared before the Board with reference to the tendering of gift of statues or busts of the Ex-Governors
of the State of Oklahoma, made by Dr. Joe B. Jenkins.
Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour moved that they be received and properly placed when approved by the Art Committee. Motion was seconded
and carried.
Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour moved that the pictograph, lent by the Maurer brothers, be returned to them. Motion was seconded and
carried.
The meeting stood adjourned subject to the call of the President.
Robert L. Williams, President,
Presiding.
James W. Moffitt,
Secretary.
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