Minutes
Western History Association
Annual Business Meeting

6 October 2001

The Western History Association business meeting was called to order by President James P. Ronda. The minutes of the 2000 Western History Association business meeting held in San Antonio, Texas, were approved.	1
Paul Andrew Hutton, executive director, reported that the current investment climate has taken a toll on the association's finances. The WHA experienced a substantial loss during the last fiscal year and nearly as great a loss since then. The checking account balance stands at $69,105, the endowment account at $32,675, and the investment account at $247,000. The WHA Council discussed a wide range of subjects, including the relationship of non-academic to academic members of the association. No conclusion was reached on what has become a prolonged discussion of that issue. Contracts have been signed for the next two conferences in Colorado Springs and in Fort Worth. Possible locations for future conferences include Spokane, Salt Lake City, Bismarck, and Las Vegas. The council approved a proposal by Robert M. Utley and Melody Webb to provide financing in the future for an award for a book in western history that combines sound scholarship with fine writing. The association continued its warm relationship with the National Park Service with another training symposium held just prior to this meeting. Many WHA members participated in the symposium and received a stipend, a portion of which Hutton requested that recipients donate to the WHA endowment fund. The WHA also is running the Trails Initiative with the National Park Service. A session at the conference dealt with the Trails Initiative.	2
Sandra Schackel, chair of the Nominating Committee, reported that Brian Dippie is the president elect of the WHA. Newly elected council members are Charles E. Rankin in Position A and Annette Atkins in Position B. Paul Fees was elected to Nominating Committee Position A, and Katherine G. Morrissey was elected to Nominating Committee Position B.	3
Thomas G. Alexander reported that membership currently stands at 1,653, which represents a loss of 47 members from last year's total of 1,700.	4
Marvin Kaiser reported that the San Antonio conference lost about $20,000. The WHA investment portfolio lost about $13,000 through June, while the WHA endowment campaign, through June, had a net increase of $22,000. The cumulative effect was a $32,000 loss, which was later reduced by a $10,000 receivable. Overall, there was an eight percent total portfolio loss for the period. Kaiser attributed the relatively small size of the loss to the very conservative investment philosophy that the Financial Advisory Committee has maintained.	5
Anne M. Butler, reporting for the Western Historical Quarterly, pointed out significant staff changes at the WHQ office. Barbara Stewart, the office manager for twenty-three years, retired. Ona Siporin, assistant editor of the WHQ for fifteen years, has taken a year's leave of absence and relocated to Portland. Her move is expected to become permanent. Butler said that the immediate hiring of some excellent replacements made for a smooth transition. Carolyn Doyle is the new office manager and webmaster. Philip Parisi has joined the staff as the visiting assistant editor and production manager. Butler also reported on the WHQ's partner membership in the History Cooperative, which the council last year approved joining. The WHQ has been on-line since January 1, 2001, and the WHA membership was informed of that in a notice appearing in the Spring 2001 issue. For now, anyone can access the WHQ on-line at the History Cooperative website, but in the near future the journal will be gated. Butler announced that, for the second year in a row, the WHQ has been awarded the James Madison Prize from the Society for History in the Federal Government. The award went to Brian Q. Cannon of Brigham Young University for his article on electrical coops and the New Deal.	. . .