S-USIH Minutes June 2017

Executive Committee Meeting

14 June 2017, Noon EST

Attending

Kevin Schultz, Lora Burnett, Leah Gordon, Richard Candida Smith, Michael Kramer, Rebecca Brenner

Absent
Ray Haberski, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Sara Georgini, Cara Burnidge

Agenda

Welcome
President’s Report
Officers’ Reports
Website update

New business

President’s Vision
Kevin Schultz:

Discusses where society has been and where it is going

Relatively young organization: Blog 10 years ago and Society 6 years ago
Dorothy Ross prize for published article by an emerging scholar
Graduate student award for free entrance into conference
Radical Historians’ Newsletter available through website, maybe repository in future
Mission is to promote American intellectual history

Digital versus manuscript collection of S-USIH’s records – maybe in Indianapolis

Time to help direct the Society and its growth

Currently revamping website, live in month or two

Website is largest expenditure other than annual conference

Need increased diversity – maybe a diversity committee

Ongoing discussions with Modern Intellectual History and Journal of History of Ideas

Ongoing question whether to start an academic journal

Maybe publish best-unpublished article from graduate student – obstacle is rough submissions

Ray Haberski, founder of S-USIH, is permanent administrator without salary

There is Board of Advisors of senior scholars in field, such as Dorothy Ross

Arrangement with Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy

Seeking good relations with African American Intellectual History Society

Our next meeting is in August or September at beginning of academic calendar

Treasurer’s Report

$35,575 in bank account

Anticipate costs of conference and website

Website design going well, moving to new platform, and then launching it

Many past treasurers still involved in S-USIH

Michael Kramer

Ben Alpers editing blog and seeking regular bloggers

Rob Greene manages book review section – additional resources?
Matthew Linton working on Society podcast

Online encyclopedia always on backburner

2017 Conference Update

Lora Burnett:

Secured hotel space

Acceptance notices to everyone

Working on finding chairs for a few panels from single paper submissions

Single paper submissions drew in people
Single paper submissions from scholars in other countries

Have secured some corporate sponsors: University of Chicago Press and Oxford University Press $350 each; UNC Press $1000 sponsor

Book tables: 10 so far

$20,000 for all the conference space, which is on par with food and drink in DC

$158-9 per night

$125 conference fee

Conference should pay for itself

Next step is to post and send out the schedule

Lora: Suggests insuring conferences in the future

Concerned what if public universities do not fund attendees due to Texas bathroom bill

Lora: Important that the conference is outward-facing for non-traditional careers

Keynote Annette Gordon-Reed

Public History angle is ideal for opening plenary

Maybe newsletter in conference program

2018 Conference Update

Tim Lacy:

Committee formed, hotel tentatively reserved in Chicago
Beginning work on plenaries