Chronicles of Oklahoma
Volume 16, No. 4
December, 1938
MINUTES OF THE QUARTERLY MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, OCTOBER 27, 1938.
Page 498
The regular quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Historical Society convened in the Historical building,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, October 27, 1938, with Judge Robert L. Williams, President, presiding.
Roll call showed the following members present: Gen. Charles F. Barrett, Judge Harry Campbell, Dr. E. E. Dale, Mr. John B.
Doolin, Judge Thomas H. Doyle, Judge Thomas A. Edwards, Mr. George H. Evans, Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour, Judge Samuel W. Hayes,
Gen. William S. Key, Mrs. Frank Korn, Mrs. Roberta C. Lawson, Mrs. Blanche Lucas, Mrs. Jessie E. Moore, Judge William P. Thompson,
Mrs. John R. Williams, Judge Robert L. Williams, and the Secretary.
The following members had sent in explanations for their absence: Dr. Grant Foreman, Judge Robert A. Hefner, Mr. James H.
Gardner, Col. A. N. Leecraft, Mr. John B. Meserve, Hon. W. J. Peterson and Mr. Jasper Sipes.
Judge Thomas H. Doyle moved that the explanations for absences be accepted and that the Board express its sympathy to Col.
A. N. Leecraft and hope for his speedy recovery. Motion was seconded and carried.
Mrs. Blanche Lucas moved that the reading of the minutes of the Board meeting held July 28, 1938, be dispensed with at this
time. Motion was seconded and carried.
The President presented to the Society two pictures of Hon. John Slidell, a Congressman and United States Senator from Louisiana
prior to the Civil War, and during the Civil War a Confederate Commissioner from the Confederate States of America to England
and France, which were accepted.
The President reported that since the last regular meeting of the Board of Directors, Dr. Giles Edward Harris, of Hugo, Oklahoma,
had died. That as a member of this Society he evinced an intelligent and efficient interest in its affairs, and as a member
of the committee in charge of the Robert M. Jones Cemetery project he devoted his time and energy in the aid of its successful
completion. That he passed away before he reached the prime of usefulness, and the State and the profession and this Society
could ill afford to lose him.
RESOLVED: That we express our sense of such loss and extend to his wife and daughters our sympathy and condolence in their
great bereavement.
Gen. William S. Key moved the adoption of this resolution. Motion was seconded and carried.
The President reported that through the kindness of Mr. A. E. Pearson, an attorney of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a communication
from Mr. P. L. Marvin, Chief Engineer of the Kansas and Southern Railway, as to the chief reconnoissance of the several routes
through Indian Territory and northern Texas which resulted in the construction of the Santa Fe Railroad, has been presented
for our archives. This communication was addressed to Mr. A. A. Robinson, General Manager. The President asked that it be
preserved and published in The Chronicles, as it relates to important preliminary matters in the construction of that railroad.
Page 499
Mrs. John R. Williams moved that Mr. A. E. Pearson be thanked for this donation, and that the article be referred to the editorial
committee for consideration with request that it be published in The Chronicles. Motion was seconded and carried.
The President transmitted to the Society a photograph of Senator Robert L. Owen, received from his secretary.
Judge Thomas A. Edwards moved that we accept this photograph and express the thanks of the Board for this donation. Motion
was seconded and carried.
The Secretary transmitted to the Society a picture of Judge R. L. Williams and Dr. G. E. Harris, taken at the dedication of
the Robert M. Jones Cemetery, the picture being a gift of the American Legion at Hugo. Upon motion the picture was accepted
with expression of appreciation for this gift.
The President reported that to carry on the work of the WPA project at Oklahoma City and Muskogee, it would require the renting
of seventeen typewriters, and that the rental would be less if rented by the quarter instead of monthly.
Mrs. Blanche Lucas moved that these typewriters be rented and paid for quarterly instead of monthly. Motion was seconded and
carried.
The President presented to the Society a number of small pictures of the dedication of the Robert M. Jones Cemetery, Gen.
William S. Key at the dedication, the two Negro slaves of Robert M. Jones, Silas Cole, Joe Kemp and Governor Johnston, a picture
of the last Chickasaw Council and a picture of an apron party at Emet, Oklahoma.
Mrs. Blanche Lucas moved that the picture of the last Chickasaw Council and the picture of the apron party at Emet be photostated
or photographed and copies supplied to the donors. Motion was seconded and carried.
The President requested that the Board authorize him to appoint a committee to have supervision for publicity of the Indian
Archives now housed in the Historical building.
Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour moved that the President appoint such a committee to have supervision for publicity of the Indian
Archives. Motion was seconded and carried.
The President appointed the following committee: Dr. Grant Foreman, Chairman; Gen. William S. Key and Mrs. Jessie E. Moore.
Gen. William S. Key moved that the President and Secretary be authorized to furnish photostat copies of records, under the
rules of comity, of any Indian tribes who formerly lived in other states and were afterward domiciled in this state when requested
by the state of the former home of that Indian tribe. Motion was seconded and carried.
The report of Mrs. Helen S. Carpenter, supervisor of WPA project for cataloguing and indexing Indian Archives, newspaper files
and other material was presented and filed.
Judge Thomas A. Edwards moved that a synopsis of this report be incorporated in the minutes. Motion was seconded and carried.1
1To date, 629 volumes of newspapers have been indexed and there are approximately 323,050 cards in the general file. During
the last quarter ,340 volumes of newspapers were completely mended. With the assistance of this project 4,534 volumes have
been made available to the public.
Eight Works Progress Administration workers have been assigned to the Indian Archives Department. Most of the classifications
have been filed chronologically, and at present, they are indexing documents.
In the Library, 130 volumes have been indexed, and as a result, there are 35,000 index cards in the biography file. This means
that there is a record or biography of that many individuals who have a part ins the history of Oklahoma.
At present there are 70 workers on this project, the majority of whom are located at the Historical building. Recently, twenty
were assigned in Muskogee County to index the books prepared by the Indian-Pioneer History project.
Helen S. Carpenter,
Supervisor, Project S-179 A.
Page 500
The funds for the fiscal years 1937 and 1938 that had lapsed were discussed.
Judge Harry Campbell moved that the Board ask the forthcoming legislature to re-appropriate these funds amounting to $1311.61
for the purpose of extending the mezzanine floor in the newspaper stack room, and any other essential and necessary equipment
that the funds would provide. Motion was seconded and carried.
Mrs. Blanche Lucas moved that a committee of three of the Board members be appointed to attend the dedication of the Will
Rogers Memorial November 4, 1938, and that any other members attend where possible, all without expense to the Society. Motion
was seconded and carried.
The Chair appointed the following committee: Mrs. Blanche Lucas, Mrs. Robert C. Lawson and Judge William P. Thompson.
Mrs. John R. Williams, committee to secure the portraits of past Governors, gave a verbal report on her work.
Gen. Charles F. Barrett, Adjutant General, extended an invitation to the members of the Board of Directors to attend the dedication
of the new Armory building on the Capitol grounds November 11, 1938.
Mrs. Jessie E. Moore presented the portrait of Rev. Marcus Lafayette Butler, D. D., the gift of his wife, and the portrait
of Hon. W. A. Durant, Chief of the Choctaws, the gift of his two sons, W. E. L. Durant and Gordon Durant.
Gen. William S. Key moved that these portraits be accepted and that the Secretary be instructed to express the thanks of the
Society to the donors. Motion was seconded and carried.
Mrs. John R. Williams announced the withdrawal of the pictograph which had been lent to the Society by Neal Maurer and William
A. Maurer.
The State Budget Officer, Mr. R. R. Owens, appeared before the Board and discussed the budget for the Historical Society for
the coming biennium.
The question of framing the pictograph of the history of the Kiowa Indians, which had been lent to the Society, was discussed,
and Gen. Charles F. Barrett moved that it be left in the Museum until after the next meeting of the legislature. Motion was
seconded and carried.
The President called attention to the meetings of the Southern Historical Association to be held in New Orleans in November,
the American Historical Association to be held in Chicago during the Holidays and the Mississippi Valley Historical Association
to be held at Memphis next spring, and suggested the advisability of sending the Secretary to each of these meetings.
Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour moved that the Secretary be authorized to attend these meetings and that the necessary expense, such
as railroad fare or transportation and hotel bills be allowed. Motion was seconded and carried.
The Secretary presented the following list of applicants for annual membership in the Society: Ward H. Bell, Kiowa; George
Carlton, Claremore; Henry Chouteau, Ralston; Thaddeus L. Duren, Countyline; Mrs. Mary E. Hadden, Ponca City; W. E. B. Leonard,
Oklahoma City; Virginia
Page 501
L. Lindsey, Choteau; Mrs. Raymond Lucas, Spiro; Mrs. Tony Lyons, Oklahoma City; Lillian B. Mathews, Pawhuska; Mrs. H. B. McKnight,
Oklahoma City; Alfred P. Murrah, Oklahoma City; S. W. Perkins, Rose; T. C. Peters, Wichita, Kansas; Aubrey L. Steele, Pampa,
Texas; Joel W. Taylor, Oklahoma City; Florencio P. Valencio, Mexico City, Mexico; R. C. Walker, Tulsa; Mrs. W. J. Walker,
Mazie; Mrs. Leonora Ward, Erick; Samuel W. West, Blanchard; and Annah L. Wilson, New York, N. Y.
Judge Thomas H. Doyle moved that these persons be elected to annual membership in the Society. Motion was seconded and carried.
Dr. E. E. Dale discussed the joint sponsorship of the Indian-Pioneer History project between the University of Oklahoma and
the Oklahoma Historical Society, and asked that a committee be appointed to check the accounts and ascertain what the University
of Oklahoma still owes on this project. The President appointed the Secretary to act in this capacity.
Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour introduced the new member of the Board, Mr. John B. Doolin, of Alva, Oklahoma.
Mrs. John R. Williams transmitted to the Society a horn spoon two hundred years old, a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Colin Valentine,
of Oklahoma City, and moved that the Secretary express the thanks of the Board to Mr. and Mrs. Valentine. Motion was seconded
and carried.
The President appointed Dr. Emma Estill-Harbour, the Secretary and Mrs. Blanche Lucas to search magazines published by other
Historical Societies, and learn what they are doing in the way of giving their magazines a more human interest as to news
items.
Mr. George H. Evans moved that the Secretary be instructed to send each member of the Board a copy of the rules which the
publication committee had compiled to guide them in their work. 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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