-l CONSTITUTION
OF THE                  K
O0IF IO4 WA,
Adopted at Iowa City, February 7, 1857.
B 13  - I I AXV NS4
ADOPTED APRIL 7, 1869.
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
AND
LAWrS OF THE STATE RELATING TO THE SOCIETY.
PRINTED AT THE IOWA TRIBUNE OFFICE,
IOWA CITY.           JL
1869.








CONSTITUTION
OF THE
01IA IOWA,
Adopted at Iowa City, February 7, 1857.
BY-LAWS
ADOPTED APRIL 7, 1869.
ARTOILES OF INCORPO01L  ATI0AON
AND
LA'WS OF TEIE STATE RELATING TO TlHIE, SOCIETY~
PRINTED AT THE IOWA TRIBUNE OFFICE,
IOWA CITY.
1869.








CONS TITUTI ON
OF THE
fitatr  iistpriral   fioridg of  J~owa.
CHAPTER I.
NA31E.
ARTICLE 1. This Organization shall be called the
"State Historical Society of Iowa;."
C HAPTER  II.
MiEMBERSHIP.
Am:r. 1. The members of this Society shall consist
of those persons who are elected at any meeting of
the Society, or by those officers authorized by this
Constitution, and who have paid into its treasury the
suIl of three dollars admittance fee, and one dollar
annually thereafter.
ART. 2. Individuals may be elected honorary members of this Association, who shall be entitled to all
the privileges of regular muemlbers, except the right
to vote and hold office, and shall be exempt fiom paying the annual fee of membership.




4                  CONSTITUTION.
ART. 3. The mitembers of this Society shall have
fiee admission to its roomns and lectures, and the
privilege of consulting its books, maps, charts, and
papers.
CHAPTER  III.
OBJECT.
ART. 1. The object of this Society shall be to collect, embody, arrange and preserve in authentic form,
a library of books, pamphlets, maps, charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings, statuary and other materials illustrative of the history of Iowa; to rescue
firom oblivion the memory of its early pioneers; to
obtain and preserve narratives of their exploits, perils
and hardy adventures; to secure facts and statements
relative to the history, genius, progress or decay of
our Indian tribes, to exhibit faithfully the antiquities,
and the past and present resources of the State; and
to promote. the study of history by lectures, anc  diffiuse and publish information relating to the description and history of Iowa.
CIHAPTER  IV.
OFFICERS.
ART. 1. The officers of this Society shall be a President, six Vice Presidents, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer, Librarian,
and eighteen Curators, who shall be chosen annually.
ART. 2. The President shall preside at the mneetings of the Association, preserve order therein, and in
case of an equal division of the members, give the
eastingo vote.




CON STITUTION.                5
ART. 3. Either of the Vice Presidents, in the absence of the President, may perform  the duties of
that office.
ART. 4. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of each meeting of the Society, and submit the
same for approval.
AnT. 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall have
charge of the correspondence of the Society, be a.
member of the Board of Curators, have a general
oversight of all its affairs, subject to the direction of
the Executive Officers, to whom he shall make a
monthly report of all his doings; write the annual
report, and be known as the official organ.
ART. 6. The Treasurer shall receive all dues and
donations of money, pay all drafts drawn on him
when signed by the President and Secretary of the
Board of Curators, and keep a regular account of the
financial concerns of the Society, and make a full and
accurate report of the same, accompanied by satisfactory vouchers, to the Curators at their last regular
meeting previous to the annual meeting of the Association.
ART. 7. The Curators, a majority of whom shall
reside in the vicinity of the State University, and
five of whom shall constitute a quorum, shall be the
Executive Department of this Association, having
fiull power to manage its affairs in harmony with this
Constitution.  They shall keep a full and correct account of all their doings, and make a report of the
same, together with that of the Treasurer and Librarian of this Society, through the Corresponding Secretary, at each annual meeting, to be transmitted to
the Governor, and be by him laid before the General
Assembly, as required by the act making an annual
appropriation to this Society. They shall also have
the power, in the name of the State Historical Society
of Iowa, for themselves and their successors in office,




6                CONSTITUTION.
to sue and be sued, imlplead and be ilmpleaded, defend
and be defended in all courts and places, and for the
purposes of this Association may do all such acts as
are performed by natural persons.
ART. 8. In case any vacancies occur in the officers
of this Society, the'Board of Curators shall have
power to fill such vacancies, and also to elect such
members of the Society as they may deem best, and
appoint a corresponding member in each county.
ART. 9. The annual meeting of this Society shall
be held on the first Tuesday of December, at which
time the officers for the succeeding year shall be
chosen, and no member shall be eligible to an office,
or be entitled to vote, who has not paid the annual
fee of membership.
ART. 10. The Librarian shall have charge of the
books, papers, maps, charts, and all other similar
valuables of the Society, under the direction of the
Board of Curators, to whom he shall make report as
they may require, to be by them incorporated in the
annual report to the Society.
CHAPTER V.
AMIENl)DMENTS.
ART. 1. This Constitutioln mayv be amended at any
meeting of the Society, when requested by the Boarud
of Curators.




BY- LAWS
MEETINGS.
SECTION I. The regular meetings of the Board of
Curators shall be on the first Wednesday in each
month. The President of the Board shall order special meetings whenever he may deem it necessary,
OR AT THE REQUEST OF THREE MEMBERS. The hour
of such meetings shall be fixed by the Board from
time to time.
SEC. II. In the absence of the President from any
meeting, the Secretary OR ANY MEMBER MAY call the
Board to order, and upon motion any member thereof
may be chosen President pro tern.
SEC. III. Five members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; but
any less number may adjourn from tinme to time.
ORDER OF BUSINESS.
SEC. Iv. The order of business of this Board shall
be as follows:
1. The call of the roll of the Board.
2. The reading and approval of the proceedings of
the previous meeting.
3. Communications.
4. Reports of Officers.
5. Reports of Standing Committees.
6. Reports of Special Committees.




8                    BY-LIWS.
7. Proposals for Membership.
8. Voting for Members.
9. Unfinished Business.
10. New Business.
STANDING COM'IITTEES.
SEC. v. There shall be six " Standing Commlittees "
of the Board, consisting of three members each, to
be appointed by the President thereof, previous to
the second meeting after his annual election, and
designated as follows:
1. On Publication.
2. On Library Rooms.
3. On Finance.
4. On ZNatural History.
5. On Picture Gallery.
6. On Obituaries.
THEIR DUTIES.
SEC. VI. The Co11niittee on Publication shall provide for the Publications of thle Society fromn year to
year; also, to procure the bindin"g of' all unbollnd
books, panmphlets, magazines, newspapers, &c., fi'rom
time to tinme, as the Board may- direct.
SEC. VII. It shall be the duty of the Committee on
Library Books to investigate from tilme to time the
condlition of the books, pamphlets, papers, mlaps,
charts, pictures, cabinets and other articles in the
Library Rooms of the Society; provide for thleir
arrangement and preservation; also, to provide suitable rooms, with all necessary arrangements for the
use of the Society, under the direction of tlhe Board.
SEC. VIII. It shall be the duty of the Committee on
Finance to examine all bills and claims against tlhe
Society; to investigate the affairs and accounts of




BY-ITAWS.                  9
the Secretary and Treasurer, whenever the Board
may direct; also, to examine his annual report and
accompanying vouchers, and if found correct, to
endorse upon it their certificate of approval.
SEC. ix. It shall be the duty of the Committee on
Natural History, to procure articles or specimens of
any character, which will in their judgment, serve to
illustrate "Natural History," and especially that of
Iowa, and cause the same to be properly classified
and arranged in its appropriate cabinets.
SEC. x. It shall be the duty of the Committee on
Picture Gallery to procure and arrange, so far as
possible, the portraits, or other class of pictures of
such citizens of Iowa from its early settlement forward; and such other pictures and sketches of objects
and scenes within this State, or elsewhere, as in their
judgment may be suitable and worthy of such keeping and preservation.
SEC. XI. It shall be the duty of the Committee on
Obituaries to prepare, or cause to be prepared, a
proper and suitable obituary of each member of this
Society, who may decease, for preservation and publication.
OFFICERS.
SEC. XII. At the first meeting of the Board, after
the annual election of the Society, there shall be chosen from the members by ballot a "President of the
Board of Curators,'" who shall hold his office for one
year, and until his successor shall be duly elected.
He shall preside at the Meetings of the Board, and
preserve order therein.
SEc. xIII. The Corresponding Secretary of the Society shall be EX-OFFICIO Secretary of the Board of
Curators. He shall keep the roll of membership of
the Society, report all delinquents for dues of mem



10        ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
bership, and Annals' subscription, quarterly to the
Treasurer, and report all moneys received by him to
the Board monthly, and pay the same to the Treasurer.
SEc. xiv. The Treasurer of the Society shall give
bonds in the sum of $3,000, to be approved by the
Board, for the faithful performance of his duties, and
shall collect all membership dues and subscriptions
to the Annals, and report quarterly to the Board.
SEC. xv. Names proposed for membership to the
Board shall be accompanied by the fee, and shall lie
over one meeting before being' acted upon, and then
shall be subject to ballot.
AMENDMENTS.
SEC. xvI. These By-Laws may be altered or alnended at any meeting of the Board, when a notice
thereof, accompanied with the proposed alteration or
amendment, shall have been submitted at a previous
meeting.
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
KNOW all Men by these Presents, That we, officers
of the Iowa State Historical Society and members of
its Board of Curators, by order of said Iowa State
Historical Society, in order to increase the efficiency




ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.          11
and secure the permanency of said Society, do hereby
file in the office of the Recorder of deeds of Johnson
county, of Iowa, these Articles of Incorporation, to
the end that said Society may become Incorporated:
1. This Society shall be known under the name
and by the appellation of thQ "Iowa State Historical
Society."
2. Said Iowa State Historical Society shall be
located permanently at the city of Iowa City, in the
county of Johnson, in the said State of Iowa.
3. Said Society is organized and incorporated for
the purpose of collecting, embodying, arranging and
preserving, in authentic form, a library of books,
pamphlets, maps, charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings, statuary and other materials illustrative of the
history of the State of Iowa; to rescue from oblivion
the memory of its early pioneers —to obtain and preserve narratives of their exploits, perils and hardy
adventures; to securle facts and statements relative
to the history, genius and progress, or decay, of our
Indian tribes; and, also, to exhibit faithfully the
antiquities, past and present resources of Iowa.
4. The officers of the said Society shall consist of
a President, six Vice-Presidents, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Librarian.  Said officers shall
perform the ordinary duties which their names
respectively indicate.
5. The interests, business and control of said Society shall be vested in a Board of Curators-not less
than eighteen in number-all of whom shall be members of said Society; and, said Board of Curators
shall meet on the first Wednesday evening of each
month, at the rooms of said Society, or of its Corresponding Secretary, for the transaction of such business, relative to the Society, as may require their
attention.
6. The officers named in the two foregoing items
shall be elected by the members of the Society, at a




12        ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
meeting thereof, to be held at Iowa City on the first
Tuesday in December of each year, and shall hold
their offices for one year, and until their successors
are duly elected and qualified.
7. The following persons shall act as officers of
said Society until their successors are duly elected
and qualified, to-wit:
President-COL. WM. PENN CLARK.
Vice-Presidents, 1st -ROBERT HUTCHINSON.
C"       2nd-E. PRICE.
3rd -W. E. MILLER.
<"       4th —Z. C. LUSE.
~"      5th -JOHN L. DAVIS.
6th -THEO. S. PARVIN.
Corresponding Sec'y —SANFORD W. HUFF, M. D.
Recording Secretary-S. E. PAINE.
Treasurer-H. S. WELTON.
Librarian-C. F. CLARK.
And said Board of Curators shall in like manner consist of the following persons, to-wit:
Col. S. C. TROWBRIDGE,    N. H. BRAINERD,
JNO. P. IRISH,         HON. GEO. W. MCCLEARY,
PROF. N. R. LEONARD,   HENRY MURRAY, M. D.,
WM. VOGT, M. D.,       WM. CRUM,
HON. F. H. LEE,        W. C. GASTON, ESQ.,
JAMES R. HARTSOCK,     G. W. DODDER,
SAMUEL J. HESS,        M. W. DAVIS,
FREDERICK LLOYD, M. D.,  HON. RALPR P. LOWE,
HON. WM. H. TUTHILL,   HON. GEORGE G. WRIGHT.
And, until otherwise ordered, said HON. GEO. W.
MCCLEARY shall remain and be President of said
Board.
In witness whereof, we, melnbers and officers of




LEGISLATIVE ACTS.              13
said Society, hereunto subscribe our names this 6th
day of November, A. D. 1867:
GEO. W. McCLEARY,
President Board of Curators.
SANFORD W. HUFF,
Corresponding Secretary.
F. H. LEE.
HENRY MURRAY, AM. D.
S. C. TROWBRIDGE.
WILLIAM VOGT.
G. W. DODDER.
SAMUEL J. HESS.
M. W. DAVIS.
JNO. P. IRISH.
FREDERICK LLOYD.
Filed for record Dec. 2, 1867, at 3 o'clock P. M.,
and Recorded in Book 29, Page 381.
J. S. LODGE, Recorder.
ACTS
OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA RELATIVE TO THE IOWA
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
An Act to provide for an annual appropriation for the benefit
of a State Historical Society.
[Passed January 28, 1857, took effect July 4, 1857; Laws of Sixth General
Assembly, Chapter 203, Page 337.1
SECTION 1959. (1.) Be it enacted by the Geineral
Assembly of the State of Iowa, That there is hereby
annually appropriated until the Legislature shall by
law otherwise direct, to a State Historical Society,




14               LEGISLATIVE ACTS.
formed or to be formed in connection with, and
under the auspices of the State University, the sum
of five hundred dollars,* to be expended by said
Society in collecting, embodying, arranging and preserving in authentic form, a library of books, pamphlets, maps, charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings,
statuary, and other materials illustrative of the state
of the history of Iowa, to rescue from oblivion the
memory of its early pioneers, to obtain and preserve
varieties of their exploits, perils and hardy adventures; to secure facts and statements relative to the
history, genius and progress or decay of our Indian
tribes; to exhibit faithfully the antiquities, past and
present resources of Iowa; also to aid in the publication of such of the collections of the Society as the
Society shall from to time deem of value and interest, to aid in binding its books, pamphlets, manuscripts and papers, and in paying other necessary
incidental expenses of the Society; but no part of
such annual appropriation shall ever be paid for services rendered by the officers to the Society.
SEC. 1960. (2.) It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee of the said State Historical Society
of Iowa to keep an accurate account of the manner
of expenditure of the said sum of money hereby
appropriated, and furnish the same, together with
the vouchers thereof, to the Governor of this State,
in the month of December of the year the Legislature shall meet, to be by him laid before the Legislature.
SEc. 1961. (3.) There shall be delivered to said
Society thirty bound copies of all documents published by order of the State, for the purpose of effecting exchanges with similar Societies in other States,
and also fifty bound copies of all such documents, to
* Section 1959 is thus amnended by Section first of laws of Eighth General
Assembly, Chapter 58, passed March 26, and took effect April 7, 1860.
See special laws of Eighth Session, Page 146.




LEGISLATIVE ACTS.              15
be transmitted through the medium of the Secretary
of said Society, to M. Vattemere, at Paris, in furtherance of his system of International literary
exchange.-Code Revision of 1860, Chapter 85.
An Act in relation to the State Historical Society by the
Twelfth General Assembly, 1867-8.
WIHERrEAS, The Iowa State Historical Society was
created by an act of the Sixth General Assembly of
the State of Iowa, for the purpose of collecting,
arranging and preserving books, pamphlets, maps,
charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings, statuary, and
other materials illustrative of the history of this
State; and, also, to preserve the memory of the early
pioneers of Iowa, their deeds, exploits, perils and
adventures; to secure facts relative to the history of
our Indian tribes; to exhibit faithfully the antiquities, and to mark the progress of our rapidly developing Commonwealth; to publish such of the collections
of the Society as it shall from time to time deem of
value and interest; to bind such publications and
other books, pamphlets, manuscripts and papers, as
they may publish or collect; and to aid in all respects,
as may be within its province, to develope the history
of this State in all its departments; thereof,
SEcTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly
of the State of Iowa, For the above purposes, and to
aid in defraying the incidental expenses of said Society, including rent and salary of the Secretary, there
is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of
three thousand dollars per annum for two years, to
be drawn on the order, and expended by, the Board
of Curators of the said State Historical Society, in
such sums as they may from time to time require.




16             LEGISLATIVE ACTS.
SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of said Society to keep
an accurate account of the manner of expenditure of
the money hereby appropriated, and furnish a full
statement thereof, together with the vouchers, to the
Governor of this State, in the month of December
preceding the meeting of each session of the General
Assembly, to be by him laid before it.
SEC. 3. There shall be delivered to the said Society eighty (80) bound copies of all books and documents published by order of the State, for the
purpose of effecting exchanges with similar Societies
in other States, and for preservation in the library of
said Society.
SEC. 4. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with
this act are hereby repealed.
SEC. 5. This act being deemed of immediate importance, shall be in force from and after its publication
in the Daily State Register and Iowa Evening
Statesman, newspapers published at Des Moines.
Approved April 7, 1868.
STATE OF IOWA,
OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE,
DES MOINES, Apr. 11, 1868.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of
the original roll now on file in this office.
ED WRIGHT, Sec. of State.