Evening star., 1934-12-30
HISTORIANS FETE
FIVE OF FOUNDERS
50th Anniversary Conven.
tion Ends--Chattanooga
Picked for Next Meeting.

The most successful convention in
the 50-year record Of the American
Historical Association closed last night
at the Mayflower Hotel with a ban
quet in honor OF the associations five
surviving founders. Shortly before
adjourning, the historians selected
Chattanooga, Tenn, as their next
convention city.
, Speakers at the dinner were j.
Franklin Jameson, chief of the Manu-
script Division. Library Of Congress;
Charles w. Colby of Montreal, a
spokesman for Canada: Isaiah Bow
man of New York City, chairman of
the National Research Council;
Thomas I Parkinson, member Of the
associations board of trustees, and
w. E. Dodd, United States Ambassa-
dor to Germany and retiring presi-
dent of the association.
Leland Is Toastmaster.
Waldo G. Leland, secretary Of the
American Council of Learned So
cieties, served as POSTMASTER at the
banquet. The surviving founders and
honor guests we're Clarence w. Bowen,
New York publisher; Davis r. Dewey,
economist, of Cambridge, Mass: Prof.
Ephriam Emerton, also of Cambridge;
Dr. Jameson and Henry z. Scott,
Boston editor.
New officers chosen at the annual
business session late yesterday were:
Michael I. Rostovtzoff. professor of
ancient history at Yale University
and formerly professor at the Uni
versity Of Petersburg. Russia, presi-
dent; Charles H. McIlwain Of Harvard
University and Guy Stanton Ford OF
the University of Minnesota, vice
presidents; Dexter Perkins Of the
University of Rochester. secretary.
and Constantine z. MCGUIRE Of Wash
ington, treasurer.
500 Attend Convention.
approximately 800 historians and
teachers of history assembled for the
three-day convention, which marked
the flftieth anniversary of the associ-
alton. The attendance was at least
$50 in excess Of that at the largest
previous annual meeting In addi-
ton to American historians, scholars
came to the session from England,
Germany, France. Spain and Russia.
Speakers at the closing sessions yes
terday included Prof. w. F. Dunaway
of Pennsylvania State College, chair
man Of a Joint meeting between the
Agricultural History Society and the
American Historical Association. This
meeting was addressed by Prof. G. S.
Wehrwein of the University Of Wis
consin and Henry latter Of Oak
Park, Il
Allen Discusses Grants.
Describing the influence OF the
Spanish land-grant system OF Cali
fornia upon American history, r. H.
Allen of the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration told a general session
yesterday:
Much of the best land in California
which now produces crops Of fruits.
nuts and vegetables worth several
hundred dollars per acre and some
think like 5000 100000 in the aggre-
gate, was once freely granted to set
tiers in tracts frequently nearly $4,000
acres in size Less than a century
ago an economy and culture intro
duced by the families who came up
from Mexico to settle on these grants
still prevailed throughout the region.
However, the discovery first of gold
and later of the even greater agri-
cultural wealth of the country stimu-
lated a development which has liter
ally swept aside the leisurely Spanish
life seemingly so firmly established" "
Ten societies interested in various
phases of history met concurrently at
the Mayflower with the American His
torical Association. Group meetings
were held on periods Of ancient and
modern history at almost every quar-
ter of the world