S-USIH Minutes 7.14.2014
S-USIH Conference Call, July 14, 2014, 2-3:45pm
Present: Lisa Szefel (treasurer 13-14), Kevin Schutz (treasurer 14-15), Dan Wickberg (president, 13-14, 14-15), Andrew Hartman (conference chair, 2015), Michele Rosen (chair of publications committee 13-14), Mark Edwards (conference co-chair 2014), Ray Haberski (secretary 13-14, 14-15), Tim Lacy (chair of publications committee 14-15)
Not present: Cara Burnidge (conference co-chair, 2014)
Dan: introduced agenda and moved to the Conference update
Conference Update: Mark Edwards
Acceptance notices out last week
Program is done in spreadsheet form and turn that into a formal program by end of the month
Number of individual papers turned into panels
Times slots are being worked out
Did not turn anyone down
29 panels—8 panels assembled, some with only two papers
21 complete panels submitted
No one has been notified of time slots yet, though they are considering particular slots now
Cara writes it up, Mark looks it over, and Ray will send it out to excom
Lisa: question about the format of the book award
Mark opened up discussion about the format and offered different models
Dan: spoke to winner about the panel that would speak directly about his book, rather than a panel that would summarize many books up for the award
Kevin: the committee has not come to terms with what it will do for the conference—the books were as a whole a good look at the state of the field
Perhaps one committee meeting could do that
Winner and runner-up are not traditional intellectual history and books that folks in the society might not come across.
But the committee wants to speak about why they were drawn to these books
The decision was unanimous
Dan: would like to see the committee members speak to the winning book and perhaps have one person summarize the totality of the selection
Lisa: provisions for graduate student conference fees
Ray: Henry May fund for graduate students and the contributions from the presses
Dan: All donations need to be recognized formally for tax purposes
The actual support for graduate students was about $80-90 which covered the conference fees
Mark: 3 committee will speak about the book and the author will speak; freedom to committee to speak to the general field and the relationship to the book award winner
Will give specific instructions to the book award winner about the format
Kevin: First comm member will speak to field; second will speak to runner-up; third will speak directly to the winning book
Kevin: numbers of the conference
Andrew: 30 people paid fees and dues who were not on the program
Kevin: 120 + plenary speakers = 135-140 paying participants
Mark: should we make the Thursday night plenary a public event, might attract graduate students to the conference
Ray: Reserve a bigger room for the plenary for Thursday night
Mark: SAAP, Matter of Religion and Philosophy scheduled from Friday afternoon
Dan: Trying the establish ongoing relationship with this organization
2015 Conference: Andrew Hartman, chair—October 15-18
Hamilton Crowne Hotel, small boutique conference center
Very close to White House
Estimated costs at little over $10,000
$1500 deposit
25/50/50, must meet 90% of those room
7 conference rooms, including a large ballroom for Thursday night, Friday and Saturday
Run three pleanaries at night; keynote is Corey Robin
Can have book prize in the big room
Can fit around 200 people
Committee: Michael Kimmage, Claire Rydell, Jonathan Wilson
Junto will sponsor at least a few panels
Rydell is at Stanford and will be on the committee for 2016 conference
Hopes to get DC area universities and think tanks sponsor something
Might institutionalize the reading group that we are running this year
Starting writing up CFP by January, and promote conference at this year’s conference
Publications Committee Report: Tim Lacy (Michele Rosen rotating off committee)
Michelle: Newsletter is the most significant thing that the pub com runs, other than blog coordination
Helpful to have list of publishers and presses to contact
Kevin: we need more personal contacts with editors to make them aware of the award
Michele: email announcement to presses and editors
Dan: will get the announcement out in the fall, earlier than last year, and will get editors and presses aware of this award early
Dan has a list of contacts and names to be used for the next round
Tim: will get Michele’s report from the following year; has traded emails with Michele and Ben and Mary Ellen.
Created several subcommittees to expand the reach and action of the pub com
ME will be leaving in December as book review editor
Robert Greene will be the new book review editor
Lillian Calles Barger will be the assistant book review editor
Left door open for a third book review editor
Two co-editors for newsletter: Matthew Linton and Bryan McAllister-Grande
Wants to advertise the future conferences; promote giving opportunities; call for book award
Special projects: Andy Seal and Gregory Jones-Katz
Treasurer’s Report—Lisa Szefel (immediate past treasurer) and Kevin Schultz
Lisa went first, talking about the general health of the organization, suggesting that we finally have a surplus in our account, of roughly $20,000.
In general, the conference pays for itself, and most of this surplus comes from membership dues.
She suggested we might want to invest some of this money in a certificate of deposit so we can continue to grow this until we come up with a plan to use the money.
Kevin discussed how easy the transition had been, and thanks Lisa for her efforts, not only as an able treasurer for the past two years but also for helping make the transition go smoothly.
He discussed his interest in further raising funds through a variety of methods and probed the ExComm to begin thinking about how it might want to spend the surplus.
Dan mentioned that he would like to be informed whenever a donation came in, so he could write a personal note thanking them.
Lisa informed the ExComm that the Society had received three donations of $20 each to buttress the Henry May Fund.
Secretary’s Report: Ray Haberski
- Transition in web maintenance from Curtis Billue to Young Chang (IU/IAT)
- This transition will provide direct, sustained support for the website and development of the website
- Submitting grant to IUPUI library for digitization of Intellectual History Newsletter
- More formal understanding between IAT and S-USIH especially in terms of in-kind collaboration (admin support for S-USIH, exposure through S-USIH of IAT)
President’s Report
Book prize committee for next year is almost set
S-USIH has a slot in the 2015 OAH conference, the society will select from two proposals for that slot
Dan had set the task for this year of creating and systematizing the archives of the society
Need better, more organized system of keeping records, many of which are on email.
Need to preserve how decisions were made and votes taken
He is putting together the annual report and has requested reports from the 2013-2014 officers
As the terms run from summer to summer, he has asked that the annual report come out after the elections of new officers