Evening star., 1923-02-18
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
SEEKS MEMBERS
Intensive Drive Launched to
Bring Total on Roll
Up to 1000.
OFTEN AIDS CONGRESS
Data Supplied Upon Requests
From Both Houses-Body
Founded in 1894.
OFTEN AIDS CONGRESS

Fixing as a goal one thousand
members. the Columbia Historical So
ciety has launched an intensive mem
bership drive with the purpose of in
teresting in the activities of the or
ganization not only private citizens
of Washington. but government ofl-
cials and members of Congress, it
was announced today.
The campaign is being waged by
special membership committee head
ed by F. Regis Noel and composed OIL
the following: Edward +. Colladay,
Albert Harper, Miss Maud Burr Nor
ris, Theodore w. Noyes. George w.
Offutt. jr.. Mrs. Charles W. Richard
son, Washington Topham and T. Gill
lespie Walsh.
Aid Given Congress.
This committee has sent out letters
TO the members of the society urging
them to solicit at least three friends
to join. Letters also will be sent 10
members OF both houses of Congress
calling attention to the fact that the
society in the past has been request
ed to supply historical data to Con-
gress. and pointing out that member
ship in the society will afford the
legislators a source of valuable In
formation regarding national and
local history.
A statement of the aims and ac-
tivities of the. Columbia Historical
Society was made public by the mem
bership committee, as follows:
States Have Societies
The Columbia Historical Society
was organized in the year 1894. for
the collection. preservation and diff
fusion of knowledge respecting the
history and Topography of the Dis
tory and biography" Its affairs are
conducted by a board of managers
composed of the eight officers and
eight laymen. who meet monthly.
Here are some interesting facts.
Practically every state in the Union
has its historical society, receiving
financial support from the state. for
tho maintenance of a building suit
able for its purposes. for clerical
services, and for the publication of
its pamphlets and books Of local his
tory relating to the pioneer days Of
the state. 1t is believed that none
of these state societies holds monthly
meetings at which historical papers
are read and illustrated lectures
given.
Papers Given Monthly.
The Columbia Historical Society re-
ceives no government support, and is
dependent entirely upon membership
dues and the occasional sale of its
volumes to other societies, libraries
and nom members. And yet, for near
ly thirty years, it has held a meet
ing once month from November to
May each year, az which papers re-
fating to the early history of the
District of Columbia and the Unite !
States government are read. This
being the Nations Capital. these pa
pers are of national as we'll as local
interest and value. Also illustrated
lectures and moving pictures on ap-
propriate subjects are delivered.
These papers are collected and m
annual bound volume of several hun
dred pages, profusely illustrated is
issued free to the members The
tweuty-fifth volume is in press and
will shortly be issued These vol
umes are recognized as authoritative.
and are becoming more and more in
demand daily, they should be in the
hands of every one of our lawmakers.
Suitable Quarters Needed.
The inability to attend its meet
.ngs is frequently given as a reason
for not Joining the society, but. while
losing the social element and the ad-
vantage of meeting and mnglinS
with those historically inclined, the
loss is offset by the receipt of the
annual volume containing the papers
read during the preceding year
The social side should by no means
be neglected.
The society needs suitable head
quarters. where its large and valuable
library can be displayed and made avail
aoie to the members. An increased in
charge to issue the annual volume more
promptly and also to issue occasionally
additional volumes OF reprints of early
documents of vast interest to historians