June 2003

Saturday @ 7:30am

George Washington University, History Department Conference Room, Phillips Hall 328-329

In attendance: Michael J. Hogan (Presiding), Peter L. Hahn, Mark A. Stoler, Robert Schulzinger, Chester Pach, Mitchell Lerner, Mary Ann Heiss, Frank Ninkovich, Mark Lawrence, Andrew Rotter, Christopher Jespersen, Robert McMahon, Scott Laderman, Deborah Kisatsky, Kurt Hanson, James Matray, Keith Nelson, David Schmitz, William Burr, Pete Hill, Jennifer Walton Michael Hogan called the meeting to order at 7:30 am.

Business Items

Reports

Resolutions

Other Business

1. SHAFR FUNDS Peter Hahn discussed the background and current status of all SHAFR funds, referring to a long written report circulated earlier to Council. After discussion, Council approved the following motions:
   
   1. SHAFR's named funds The Executive Director will restore and track separately SHAFR's non-Bernath named funds that existed in 1994 and those created since 1994. Each fund that existed in 1994 will carry an initial (June 30, 2003) balance based on its 1994 value and the rate of growth in the SHAFR endowment since 1994. Funds established since 1994 will carry an initial balance determined by actual contributions and allocations made to them. (Maintaining the separate named funds will honor the donors and those for whom the funds were named and will assist in additional development efforts, which the Executive Director would conduct periodically.) The Executive Director will credit all donor-designated gifts received after June 2002 to the appropriate account, and will debit each account annually the actual value of each prize awarded under its name. In no case will any such debit exceed 5 percent of the account's value. The Executive Director will pay prizes out of operating (checking and savings) accounts, replenishing them from time to time from the endowment. When the operating accounts carry substantial surpluses, the Executive Director will make deposits to the endowment.
   2. Bernath Funds The Executive Director will pay Bernath prize/award disbursements from the checking (or savings) account and make withdrawals from the Bernath endowment account from time to time to cover shortfalls.
   3. Inactive (pre-1994) Funds Because the Bailey and Guide Funds that existed in 1994 have been dormant for years and because the origins and purposes of these funds are unclear, these funds should be discontinued and their balances absorbed in the General Endowment.
   4. Gelfand-Rappaport Fund Because the annual subsidy from the publisher of Diplomatic History is sufficient to cover the subsidy that SHAFR pays to the editorial office at the University of Colorado, the Gelfand-Rappaport Fund will be designated to support a new, named fellowship for graduate student member dissertation research travel.
   5. New (post-1994) accounts
      
      1. SHAFR-Georgetown Fellowship Because the SHAFR-Georgetown fund has not been tracked separately and is modest in size, and because other conferences have also raised substantial proceeds, the SHAFR-Georgetown Fellowship will be discontinued. The addition of the new Gelfand-Rappaport fellowship will ensure that graduate student members will not lose any funding opportunities.
      2. Hogan Fellowship The Hogan Fellowship fund will be tracked on a separate ledger like other named funds, with an initial allocation of $13,533.39.
      3. Unterberger Fellowship The Unterberger Fellowship fund will be tracked on a separate ledger like other named funds. When contributions to it reach $15,000, the Fellowship will be activated; the president will appoint a new Unterberger Fellowship Committee which will award a $1,000 biannual fellowship, to be awarded at SHAFR's annual meeting, to the best dissertation in the field of diplomatic history completed during the previous two calendar years.
      4. Prizes and Fellowships Peter Hahn discussed the background and current status of all SHAFR prizes and fellowships, referring to a long written report circulated earlier to Council. Council discussed the amount and timing of all awards. Council approved the following motions:
         
         1. An award committee should withhold any fellowship or prize in any case in which, in the committee's judgment, no qualified or suitable nomination or application has been received.
         2. An award committee should refrain from splitting an award between two or more recipients except in the most extraordinary circumstances.
         3. The Bernath dissertation award shall be increased to $2,000.
         4. The Bernath Book Prize shall be awarded to the "best first book" in diplomatic history and the Ferrell Prize shall be awarded to the "best book beyond the first monograph." All references to age including "younger" shall be deleted from the prize descriptions.
         5. Bernath Lecture Prize winners shall be reimbursed up to $500, if receipts are provided, for the expenses of travel to the OAH meeting at which Lectures are delivered.
         6. The Bernath article prize will be increased to $1,000.
         7. The Ferrell book prize will be increased to $2,500.
         8. Notwithstanding the resolution passed earlier [2(B)], the Holt Committee should not be prohibited from dividing the $2,000 Holt Fellowship into two awards of $1,000 each.
         9. The Graebner prize shall continue to be awarded at the SHAFR annual meeting, where the recipient gains maximum appreciation of the membership. Language regarding age should be struck from the Graebner prize description, which shall state: "The Graebner prize is a lifetime achievement award intended to recognize a senior historian of United States foreign relations who has significantly contributed to the development of the field, through scholarship, teaching, and/or service, over his or her career." The Graebner prize will be increased to $2,000.
         10. The Hogan fellowship competition will be open to all graduate student members, not only doctoral candidates. The Hogan Fellowship will be increased to $2,000 (figured as the initial allocation of $1,000, plus a $500 annual gift pledged by Michael Hogan [until his retirement], plus a $500 match of Hogan's gift by SHAFR).
         11. The Link Prize and Kuehl Prize will be combined into a single Link-Kuehl Prize, to be awarded biannually (and announced at the SHAFR luncheon at the AHA) to the best documentary book.
         12. The newly created Gelfand-Rappaport prize will be awarded at the SHAFR luncheon at the AHA.
2. By-laws Referring to a long written report circulated earlier to Council, Peter Hahn discussed the SHAFR by-laws, which were written after 1972 (when the Society was incorporated), revised in 1994 (when the Endowment Committee replaced the Finance Committee), and revised in 1999 (when two graduate student representatives were added to the Council). After discussion, Council approved the following motions, with the understanding that, in accordance with the amendment provisions of the by-laws, each motion would be submitted for approval by the membership during the Fall 2003 annual election.
   
   1. The program committee (article V, section 3) may include the local arrangements chair (but not as chair or co-chair). (Rationale: affiliation of the local arrangements chair with the program committee will facilitate communication between the program committee and the host institution.)
   2. The Membership Committee (article V, section 2) should be disbanded. (Rationale: the committee has no declared purpose and has not met for years.)
   3. Annual elections timeline (article II, section 5(d-e) should be changed to include the following deadlines: Nominations via petition from members will be accepted until August 1; the Nominating Committee will finish its assigned work by August 15; the Executive Director will mail ballots by September 15; ballots will be returned by October 31; and results will be announced as expeditiously as possible. (Rationale: the new schedule-which Council authorized for the 2003 annual election-will allow newly elected Council members adequate time to make arrangements to attend the Council meeting at the AHA. In short, this change will synchronize the SHAFR election cycle with the change in the scheduling of the AHA annual meeting from December to January.)
   4. Membership meetings (Article VIII) should be occasional rather than annual, and should be scheduled as authorized by Council in response to petition(s) from the membership. Council should schedule such a membership meeting during a SHAFR annual conference, with at least six months notice given to all members. (Rationale: although there has been no membership meeting in recent memory, the possibility of holding one should be preserved in the event that some high controversy arises.)
   5. The by-laws should reflect Council's decision of 2002 to change the title of Executive Secretary-Treasurer to Executive Director. (Rationale: The by-laws should reflect Council's decision to change the practice.)
   6. Gender-specific language should be replaced with gender-neutral language throughout the by-laws. (Rationale: SHAFR should be inclusive.)
   7. References to the "Newsletter" should be changed to the "newsletter." (Rationale: the more generic lower-case allows changes to the name of the newsletter.)
3. Newsletter Peter Hahn recalled that Council in 2002 assigned responsibility for the SHAFR Newsletter to him and that in 2003 it approved, via e-mail ballot, the name Passport: The Newsletter of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Hahn reported that he will serve as Executive Editor of Passport and that Mitch Lerner of Ohio State University will serve as Editor. Council approved a motion that Passport will be published three times per year, in April, August, and December, beginning with the August 2003 issue. Council also authorized the Executive Editor to appoint an editorial board of three members, serving staggered three-year terms, with whom the editors will consult from time to time on issues of importance to the editors. Hahn announced that Deborah Kisastsky, Nick Sarantakes, and Dennis Merrill will serve on the editorial board effective immediately. Council also directed the Executive Director to maintain a separate financial ledger indicating the assets and costs of Passport.
4. Audit of SHAFR financial records Michael Hogan recommended that SHAFR have a formal audit of its financial records by a professional auditor/CPA, to keep the Society in good business order, protect the Society and ensure its growth, and protect the Executive Director against even the allegation of wrongdoing. Such an audit would identify preemptive moves that SHAFR could take to keep its finances healthy and ensure the security of its funds. Peter Hahn reported that at Hogan's request he had spoken to two auditors, both of whom advised that instead of a formal audit, SHAFR should consider an informal review of its records, which would provide an estimated 90 percent of the security of an audit at half the cost. A formal audit is usually required if a group receives federal or corporate grants; SHAFR does not necessarily need such an audit. A formal audit would cost from $4,000 to $6,000 (but could run as high as $10,000, depending on the quality of the records) and a review would run $2,000-3,000. After discussion of the merits of a formal audit vs. a review, Michael Hogan moved that SHAFR conduct an audit every five years or with the appointment of a new Executive Director, whichever comes first, and that it conduct the first such audit in 2003. Council passed the motion and directed Michael Hogan to schedule the audit.
5. Editor-in-chief of the Guide On behalf of the search committee (Chester Pach, Kurt Hanson, and Dennis Merrill) for a new editor-in-chief of the SHAFR bibliographic guide to succeed Bob Beisner, Chester Pach made a series of recommendations:
   
   1. That the search committee be authorized to advertise the position of editor-in-chief and ask for applications and nominations for the position;
   2. That the announcement of the position appear in Passport and on the SHAFR website and that it be sent to SHAFR members through postal and electronic mailings, the extent of which would be determined in consultation with the Executive Director;
   3. That the announcement contain language that the new editor will be asked to agree to a designated term of service, the exact length to be determined through negotiations, and that the editor will receive financial compensation, the amount to be negotiated.
   4. That the search committee be allowed to contact directly some potential candidates, including the current chapter editors, to determine whether any are interested in the position and that such contacts be limited to discussion of the position and its responsibilities and the interest of those contacted in the position;
   5. That the search committee make a recommendation about the candidates for the position of editor to the President and the Council as soon as feasible and, in any case, before the Council meeting in January 2004.

   Michael Hogan asked Council to consider carefully the precedent of providing the editor with financial compensation. Chester Pach noted that the editor would engage in a continual process of keeping the Guide current and inventing and re-inventing it and might have to produce electronic supplements in the next few years. Collaborations of this size and scope are invariably long-lived and timing is unpredictable. Council approved the recommendations with the stipulation that the principle of compensation and any specific amounts of compensation must gain the expressed approval of Council at a later date. Hogan encouraged any candidates for the position to explore options with their home institution for workload adjustment and other support. Chester Pach agreed to consult with Hogan and Hahn on the language for the announcement. Council indicated its thanks to Chester Pach and the other committee members for their good work in a short period of time.

6. Allocation to National Coalition for History (formerly the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History) Council discussed a letter from Anna Nelson, circulated to Council prior to the meeting, requesting that SHAFR increase its annual allocation to the NCH from $3,000 to $5,000. Mark Stoler moved approval of the recommendation, noting that the Society could afford the increase and that it seemed wise to increase SHAFR's visibility within the NCH. The motion passed unanimously.
7. Marketing of the SHAFR Guide: Peter Hahn reported that 282 of the 600 copies of the Guide that SHAFR is contractually obligated to purchase still need to be resold to members. He asked Council members to encourage their students and colleagues to purchase the Guide.
8. 2003 annual meeting Peter Hill reported that approximately 375 people registered to attend SHAFR this year. He recommended that future local arrangements chairs hire Sara Wilson or another competent conference manager to assist in the logistics of running a conference. David Schmitz reported that this year's program had 41 panels (selected from 43 panel and several individual proposals) and 2 plenary sessions. The 2002 conference had 25 panels. Schmitz reported a problem of people trying to participate in the conference without paying the registration fee, and explained that with the approval of Michael Hogan, he cancelled a Sunday morning session because 5 of the 6 participants had not registered. Council unanimously approved a resolution of appreciation to Peter Hill and David Schmitz for their excellent work in arranging the conference and the program.
9. 2004 annual meeting Mark Lawrence, the local arrangements chair, updated Council on the 2004 meeting, to be held June 24-26 at the University of Texas at Austin. The LBJ Library will serve as co-host.
10. 2005 annual meeting Michael Hogan reported that there is no site as of yet for the 2005 meeting. Hogan and Mark Stoler will work on this over the next few months. Hogan suggested that Council consider holding the 2005 meeting jointly with the World History Association, which also meets in June and whose incoming president is a member of SHAFR. Council authorized Hogan to explore this possibility. After a discussion of the value of designating a theme to an annual meeting, Council agreed that calls for papers might state in essence that "the program committee would particularly welcome proposals dealing with the following themes…"
11. Endowment Jim Matray, Endowment Liaison, reported that SHAFR's endowments are in excellent shape. The Bernath Fund is worth about $424,000. The General Fund is worth about $314,000. Both funds are managed by Schafer-Cullen Capital Management and are invested through Smith-Barney. Despite the poor market, SHAFR's funds have performed well under Schafer-Cullen's strategy of cautious aggressiveness that Council approved in the past. Including operating funds, SHAFR's net worth is about $800,000. Council approved a motion thanking Schafer-Cullen for its excellent work in managing SHAFR's finances over the last decade.
12. Fellowships and Prizes Peter Hahn, reporting for Anne Foster, announced that the Holt fellowship of $2,000 will be awarded to Jason Colby of Cornell University. Peter Hahn, reporting for Anne Foster, announced that the inaugural Hogan fellowship of $2,000 will be awarded to Mark Hove of the University of Florida. Ann Heiss, chair of the Kuehl prize committee, announced that the Kuehl prize will be awarded to Harriet Hyman Alonso for her book, Growing Up Abolitionist. Peter Hahn, on behalf of Katie Sibley, reported that the Bernath Book Prize will be awarded to Matt Connolly for his book, A Diplomatic Revolution.
13. Michael Hogan asked Council for a resolution of appreciation for Bill Brinker who served for many years as editor of the SHAFR Newsletter. Brinker will be recognized at today's luncheon and presented with plaque. Council unanimously approved such a resolution.
14. Michael Hogan expressed special appreciation for Peter Hahn and the excellent work he has done as Executive Director of the Society.
15. Robert McMahon alerted Council that he will bring to Council's attention, by e-mail or at the next meeting, a resolution supporting a petition regarding the release of government documents on the Iraq war.

Michael Hogan adjourned the meeting at 9:18. Respectfully submitted, Peter L. Hahn Executive Director PLH/jw