This CONSTITUTION may be amended at any biennial meeting, notice
of such amendment having been given at the previous biennial
meeting or the proposed amendment having received the approval of
the Executive Council.
Then the Director followed by the Secretary-Treasurer, with a
financial statement, made this report:
The Association was organized in Chicago, September 9, 1915, by
five persons who felt that something effective should be done to
direct attention to the long-neglected work of saving the records
of the Negro race. At first, it was thought best to call a
national meeting to form an organization. This plan was
abandoned, however, for the reason that it was not believed that
a large number of persons would pay any attention to the movement
until an actual demonstration as to the possibilities of the
field had been made. The Director, therefore, had these few
persons join him in organizing, so to speak, in a corner and
proceeded at once to bring out the JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY. How
it was received by the public is now a matter of history.
The growth of the JOURNAL has been more than was expected. The
first edition was 1,500, the second 1,300, the third 1,000, the
fourth 2,000. At the end of 1916 the demand for back numbers so
increased that it soon became evident that the editions were not
large enough and that the back numbers would have to be
reprinted. One thousand copies of volume I, and some extra
numbers of it were accordingly reprinted and the current edition
was increased to 4,000. The total circulation of the JOURNAL is
2,830. The subscription list shows 1,430 subscribers, about 400
copies are sold at newstands, 1,000 copies are used for
promotion, and about 1,000 copies are kept on hand for future
subscribers.
These achievements, however, have been due to sacrifice both of
time and means. The Director has had to work under tremendous
difficulties, but he has never lost faith in his coworkers and
believes in the ultimate triumph of the cause. The problem has
been threefold, that of research, that of editing and that of
promotion.
As the Association has not had adequate funds to provide the
Director with an office force or sufficient stenographic
assistance, he has too often found himself in the position of
having to do all things at one time. But in spite of these
handicaps there was a gradual increase in the number of
subscribers and contributors until unfortunately the income from
these sources was greatly diminished by the war. A few
substantial friends, however, have helped us when seemingly at
our extremity. Among the more important contributions obtained
are: $75 from Dr. R. E. Park, $100 from the Phelps-Stokes Fund,
$100 from Mr. Jacob H. Schiff, $200 from Mr. Harold H. Swift,
$500 from Mr. Julius Rosenwald and $1,000 from Dr. C. G. Woodson.
We have, therefore, been able to come to the end of the first two
years of our history free from debt and with a considerable
balance on the right side of the ledger as is attested by the
following financial statement of the Secretary-Treasurer:
STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE
STUDY OF NEGRO LIFE AND HISTORY, FROM OCTOBER 14, 1915, TO
SEPTEMBER 9, 1917, INCLUSIVE
_Receipts_
Bound Volumes and Subscriptions $1,216.39
Life and Active Memberships 512.75
Contributions and Advertising 1,800.05
News Agents 222.84
Loans 296.50
---------
Total Receipts $4,048.53
_Expenditures_
Printing and Stationery $2,993.32
Petty Cash 603.59
Stenographic Services 254.16
Rent and Light 81.00
Bond 10.00
---------
Total Expenses $3,942.07
Balance on hand 106.46
---------
$4,048.53
Respectfully submitted,
J. E. MOORLAND,
_Secretary-Treasurer._
When the time came for the election of officers, Professor Kelly
Miller, the chairman of the committee on nominations, reported a list
of names for the various positions. The name of Dr. G. C. Hall,
President of the Association, was, at his request, omitted. Thereupon,
Dr. C. G. Woodson and Dr. J. E. Moorland expressed regret that Dr.
Hall desired to retire and paid him high tributes as a coworker
without whom the work could not have been made so successful. The
Association then voted that the Secretary-Treasurer be instructed to
cast its unanimous ballot for the persons nominated. These officers
are: R. E. Park, President; J. E. Moorland, Secretary-Treasurer; C. G.
Woodson, Director of Research and Editor, and, with the foregoing
officers, Julius Rosenwald, Chicago, Illinois; George Foster Peabody,
Saratoga Springs, New York; James H. Dillard, Charlottesville,
Virginia; John R. Hawkins, Washington, D.C.; R. E. Jones, New Orleans,
Louisiana; Thomas Jesse Jones, Washington, D. C.; A. L. Jackson,
Chicago, Illinois; Sir Edmund Walker, Toronto, Canada; Moorefield
Storey, Boston, Massachusetts; and J. G. Phelps Stokes, New York City,
as members of the Executive Council. R. E. Park, J. E. Moorland and C.
G. Woodson were appointed trustees and Thomas Jesse Jones, L.
Hollingsworth Wood and J. E. Moorland as the business committee. Mr.
A. L. Jackson, the chairman of the auditing committee, read the report
certifying that the books of the Secretary-Treasurer had been properly
kept and all moneys accounted for. Mr. Jackson took occasion, also, to
point out the fact that in addition to taking upon himself the burden
of editing the JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY, Dr. Woodson gives more than
half of the amount received as contributions to maintain it.
Several suggestions were offered for the good of the cause. Professor
Kelly Miller spoke in a commendatory manner concerning the work and
urged the people to direct their attention to the study of their
traditions. Mr. R. C. Edmonson suggested that the Association pay more
attention to the collection of statistics concerning the race. Mr.
John W. Davis asked members to volunteer to secure a larger number of
subscribers. He himself submitted a pledge to obtain 25 subscribers
during the year.
At the evening session, Dean Benjamin G. Brawley, of Morehouse
College, read an excellent paper on _Three Negro Poets: Horton, Mrs.
Harper and Whitman_, giving his audience startling information about
these literary workers in the days when opportunities were meager. In
this way, Dean Brawley successfully bridged the gap between Phyllis
Wheatley and Paul Lawrence Dunbar. Professor Kelly Miller then
delivered an instructive address on _The Place of Negro History in our
Schools_. Professor Miller's discourse was well received and seemed to
arouse interest in the study of Negro history. Dr. C. G. Woodson made
some remarks concerning the plans of the Association and Dr. J. E.
Moorland appealed to the people for their support. Many new members
were added. The Association then adjourned.
* * * * *
[Transcriber's Notes:
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as
possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and other
inconsistencies. The transcriber made the following changes to the
text to correct obvious errors:
1. p. 49, No footnote marker for footnote #45 in original text.
2. p. 63, No footnote marker for footnote #79 in original text.
3. p. 69, No footnote marker for footnote #96 in original text.
4. p. 120, Footnote #153, "pp. 263 ff" changed to "pp. 263 ff."
5. p. 130, Footnote #178, "Woolmans'" changed to "Woolman's"
6. p. 186, "kinds of graots" changed to "kinds of groats"
7. p. 213, No footnote marker for footnote #244.
8. p. 216, Footnote #255, "XXXV, 126" changed to "XXXV, 126."
9. p. 226, Footnote #286, "December 26, 1916", left unchanged
10. p. 259, "Like Miss Patterson" changed to "Like Miss Patterson,"
11. p. 349, No footnote marker for footnote #402.
12. p. 380, Footnote #465 and 466 were referenced with the
same footnote marker number in the original text.
13. p. 419, Footnote #524, 525, 526 were all referenced with the
same footnote marker number in the original text.
14. All The footnotes have been re-numbered.