PN 121 .S6 1894 Copy 1 PN 121 .S6 ock*-\y <*r fV^* 1894 Copy 1 THE AMERICAN AUTHORS' GUILD Constitution : By-Laws : Organization charter members NEW YORK, 189k OS \b 3 A meeting to organize an Association of American Authors was held in the Berkeley Lyceum in New York City in May 1892, under the following call : " The undersigned, believing that the in- terests of American authors and literature demand the organization of a society of American authors on the same general basis as the very successful English and French societies, invite you to meet at the Berkeley Lyceum at No. 23 West Forty-fourth street, New York, on May 18th, at 12 m., to organ- ize a society of American author-, of which all literary workers, both men and women, may become members ; with annual dues not exceeding five dollars, and having these general objects : First — To promote a professional spirit among authors. Second — To settle disputes between au- thors and publishers by arbitration, or by an appeal to the courts. Third — To advise authors as to the vari- ous methods of publishing, and to see that their contracts are so drawn as to protect them in their legal rights. Fourth — To co-operate with publishers in bringing about better business methods be- tween author and publisher. Fifth — To secure minor reforms, such as an extension of copyright, carriage of liter- ary property through the mails at the same rate as other merchandise, and in general to advance the interests of American authors and literature. Signed, William Dean Howells, George W. Cable, Thomas W. Higginson, Julian Hawthorne, Charles D. Warner. James Grant Wilson, Moncure D. Conway, Charles Burr Todd." Gen. James Grant Wilson, in behalf of the Genealogical and Biographical Society, wel- comed the member- to the hall, and nomi- nated Col. Thomas W. Higginson as chair- man of the meeting, who was unanimously elected. The following persons having signified their desire to unite in forming an Associa- tion of American Authors were accepted as incorporating members of said association : Thomas Wentworth Higginson James Grant Wilson George W. Cable Oliver Wendell Holmes Charles Dudley Warner John Albee Julian Hawthorne Edward Bellamy William Dean Howells James T. Bixby Moncure D. Conway Marshal H. Bright James Lane Allen Hezekiah Butterworth Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward Emily Wooden John D. Champlin, Jr. Henry S. Styles Cynthia Elaise Cleveland William L. Stone Titus Munson Coan Charles Burr Todd Alban J. Conant Moses Coit Tyler George W. Cook Barrett Wendell Berthold Fernow Horace White Henry T. Fiuck Mary E Wilkins Chandos Fulton Charles F. Wingate Robert Grant Louise Chandler Moulton Joel Chandler Harris Margaret Deland Blackburn W. Harte Edward Bverett Hale Benjamin Hathaway James J. Roche William T. Hornaday Edwin J. Mead Julia Ward Howe William J, Rolfe George Parsons Lathrop Maurice Thompson Janet Richards John T. White Eugene Lawrence William Henry Smith William M. Griswold Mary S. Lockwood Adah J. Todd Eben R. Horsford Henry V. Boynton Joseph Cook James Martin Thomas Bailey Aldrich Josiah Royce Mary O. Nutting Edward W. Bok William A. Hammond Nora Perry Alexander K. McClure Howard Hinton Wallace P. Reed N. P. Gilman Albert Mathews T. R. Rodenbough Celia Thaxter William H. Beard Minot J. Savage Edward F. De Laucy Horace E. Scudder William C. Hudson Nathaniel S. Shale r Frank L. Stanton Ella Wheeler Wilcox John Bigelow Brooks Adams Arthur Gilman James E. Bailey Edwin L. Bynner Mary Ires Todd Fannie Edgar Thomas S. Weir Mitchell Coyne Fletcher Henry Coppee Emily L. Sherwood Constance G. Du Bois Oliver O. Howard Daniel G. Gilman Thomas W. Knox. The following Constitution was then read, discussed and adopted : CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I NAME This society shall be called the Associa- tion of American Anthors. ARTICLE II OBJECTS The objects of this society shall be : First — To promote a professional spirit among authors. Second — To foster a friendlier feeling and greater confidence between authors and pub- lishers by devising some practical means of securing accurate returns of sales by the publisher. Third — To advise authors as to the value of literary properly and the different meth- ods of publishing, and to see that their con- tracts are so drawn as to secure them their rights. Fourth — To settle disputes between au- thors and publishers by arbitration or by an appeal to the courts. Fifth — To secure certain other reforms urgently needed, and in general to maintain, define and defend literary property, and ad- vance the interests of American authors and literature. ARTICLE III MEMBERS All persons engaged in recognized literary pursuits shall be eligible to membership in this society. Candidates shall be nominated b} r a member, shall be recommended by the Board of Managers, and shall be voted for at the first stated meeting after such nomina- tion. A two-thirds vote of the members present shall be necessary to elect. ARTICLE IV OFFICERS The officers of this society shall be a Pres- ident ; three Vice-Presidents, no two of whom shall be residents of the same State ; a Secre- tary and a Treasurer. The President shall hold office for one year only and shall not be eligible to re-election until after the expira- tion of one year. IO ARTICLE V BOARD OF MANAGERS The affairs of this society shall be man- aged by a Board of Managers, to be com- posed of the officers of the society and nine members to be elected at each annual meet- ing. ARTICLE VI THE PENSION FUND All surplus moneys accruing to this so- ciety, whether from bequests, or from initia- tion fees and dues, shall be invested and held as a fund, the interest of which shall be expended in aiding such sick, aged or infirm members as may be found necessitous, and, in case of need, in paying their funeral ex- penses. This fund shall be managed by a sub-committee of three to be elected by the Board of Managers from among their own number. ARTICLE VII Amendments to the Constitution shall require at least one month's notice and a two-thirds vote of the members present. II BY-LAWS I The stated meetings of this society shall be held in New York on the first Wednes- day of every month, except in June, July, August and September. II The meeting on the first Wednesday of October shall be an annual meeting for the election of officers, and the presenting of reports. The President ma}- call a special meeting whenever in his judgment it is necessary. At all meetings ten members shall constitute a quorum, and three mem- bers at meetings of the Board of Managers. in The President shall preside at all meet- ings. If he is absent, one of the Vice-Presi- dents shall preside. None of these being present, any member may call the meeting to order and nominate a chairman pro tern. It shall be the duty of the President to ap- point an Auditing Committee to examine the accounts of the society previously to every annual meeting ; and to appoint, if so required by the society, any special com- mittee. IV The Secretary shall keep the records of the society and a list of the members, with their places of residence ; shall conduct the cor- respondence of the society, and print and mail to each member the minutes of each meeting of the society, and of the Board of Managers. The Treasurer shall see that all fees or dues are paid ; shall have charge of the . moneys of the society, invest the same with the advice and consent of the Board of Man- agers, and present at each annual meeting, or oftener if called for, a detailed report of receipts, disbursements and of the present condition of its finances. VI The Board of Managers shall hear com- plaints of any member who may have been wronged, and if the case require it, aid such 13 member in securing justice. The}' shall ap- point a sub-committee to care for the pen- sion fund, a sub-committee to pass upon candidates for membership, and shall have the general supervision of the affairs of the society in the interval between the meetings- VII Each member shall pa} T an initiation fee of five dollars, which shall be in lieu of the first year's dues, and thereafter the annual dues shall be three dollars. VIII Members by paying fifty dollars shall be- come life-members and be exempt from further dues. Donations of five hundred dollars or over shall entitle the donor to be called a Patron of the society. Donations or bequests to the Pension Fund, or for any special object, shall not be diverted to any other purpose. Honorary members shall pay no dues. IX Persons not authors who are actively in- terested in letters, or who shall have per- formed some signal service to literature, 14 may be elected to honorar}' membership by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a regular meeting. By-laws may be amended or suspended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any meeting. The chairman then appointed a committee of three to nominate officers of the society. They reported the following, who were unan- imously elected : President, Thomas Wentworth Higgin- son ; Vice-Presidents — Julia Ward Howe, Moncure D. Conway, Maurice Thompson ; Secretary, Charles Burr Todd ; Treasurer, James Grant Wilson. Board of Managers— Charles Dudley War- ner, George W. Cable, Moses Coit Tyler, William Henry Smith, Louise Chandler Moulton, Titus Munson Coan, Horace White, Cynthia B. Cleveland, William C. Hudson. 15 A vote of thanks was tendered to the Genealogical and Biographical Society for the use of its hall. The officers of the society were appointed a Committee with power to treat with the trustees of the Genealogical and Biographical Society for the use of their hall until proper rooms could be secured by the Association. It was voted to hold a special meeting at the Berkeley Lyceum on Friday, June 3, 1892, at 5 o'clock p.m. The meeting then adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Charles Burr Todd, Secretary. At the meeting of January, 1894, it was voted to change the name of the society from x " The Association of American Authors M to l The American Authors' Guild. Address in care of Dr. Titus M. Coan, 70 Fifth Avenue, New York City. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS^ 027 250 809 4 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 027 250 809 4