Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-23
.HERALDRY SOCIETY
ACTIVITIES PROBED
university" Incorporated
Here Five Years Ago OBJ
ject of Complaint.

| university" the American Heraldry
Society now is being investigated by the
district attorneys Office in New York
City after complaints of its activities in
| an attempt to organize "congenialS"
into recognized national elite" at
| $3.50 per membership.
| Search of the records in the office OF
the recorder of deeds here reveals that
the society was incorporated in 1924 by
Charles l.. Pichel, William T. Truitt,
| Gilbert P. Brown and Ethel G.. Wood,
being one of the dozens of educational,
| fraternal and other organizations for
which Gilbert P. Brown acted as an in
corporator before the present diploma
mill" regulations were enacted by Con-
gress. 1t is chartered to operate in
| the city of New York or in any other
city of the State or of these United
States of America, their territories and
dependencies or in foreign countries"
The incorporation Papers read: The
American Heraldry Society is conSti-
tuted to assist in seeking information
relative to the display of coats of arms,
family genealogy and anything that
may pertain to the science of heraldry
in these United States or in foreign
countries; to design coats of arms, SYM
bols, signs, insignia and partake in any
work in genealogy; to compile family
histories and to prevent the infringe
ment upon any lawful work pertaining
to heraldry or genealogy; to establish
universal clearing house or Leraldry
bureau: to organize patriotic. historical
or heraldic societies; to establish jour-
nal of heraldry or genealogy. or any
business appertaining to the preserva-
ton of family records. 1t may teach
classes in history or genealogy and issue
certificates or diplomas appertaining TO
the same, either earned or honorary.
Its term of existence shall be perpetual
and it shall have the status Of college
or university"
Reports Filed Each Year.
Reports have been filed each year to-
gether with reports of other District
of Columbia corporations of which DR..
Pichel is an incorporation. Thus in
1928 he filed reports for the Columbia
University of Sciences, Box 294, Penn
sylvania avenue and Twelfth street;
the College of Physicians and Surgeons
whose annual meeting was held at the
Waldorf Astoria; the American College
of Chiropractors, which also closed its
accounts for the year in that exclusive
hostelry, and the Academic Award
Society.
The officers have changed from year
to year. In 1928 DR.. Pichel was prcSi-
dent and other officers were the Count
esS de Bruche, Prince Hadji Taher
Lady Winifred Sackville- Stoner and
Hobart S. Bird. In 1929 they consisted
of Joseph E. Truitt, Prince Vladimir
Koudacheff, TIL. N. Wander Lyn and
Fred j. Kohler
The activities of the society were
brought to the attention of the New
York district attorneys office through
complaint of Miss Frances Tarpox, who
alleged that her name was being used
without her authority in the literature
of the society.
Then came Frederick Hastings Sey-
mour, a former major in the British
Army and now secretary of the Shelter
Harbor Country Club, whose hobby is
genealogical research and who answered
an advertisement of the society for
field secretary. The job given him. he
alleges, was calling on the elite" to
persuade them to join. The "elite" did
not join in great numbers and Mai.
Seymour resigned after editing pam
phlet on "Heraldry, It's Origin, History
and outline of Its Field in America"
which went into the record of the hear
/ ing Monday before Assistant District
Attorney Alexander Lehman.
Called Distinct Science.
This document asserted that heraldry
was "a distinct and Independent sci
ence, part of the education of prin-
and Abel and was brought to England
by the Roman invaders. For a while
recently this beautiful science" had
fallen into the doldrums, but was nov
happily recovered.
"Heraldry is a science which. prop
erly directed, would make fools wise"
said the document, and continued:
Thousands of American families have
an inalienable right to display the in
sigma of their race, Though they may
not be aware of it,
Maj Seymour also identified an ap-
piication blank which gave the price of
subscription" as $3.50 in advance. This
included two hand-painted copies of
the subscribers coat of arms, one line
drawing of the coat of arms for repro
duction, biography of the subscriber
in who's Who in Heraldry" and
copy of the book postpaid.
The hearing is to be continued. Sew
eral of the notables whose names were
used have been subpoenaed to testify.