Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission Part 91

Department L, Mines and Metallurgy, Mrs. M.G. Scrutchin, Atlanta, Ga.

Department M, Fish and Game, Miss Mary Stuart Armstrong, Chicago, Ill.

Department N, Anthropology, Mrs. Zelia Nuttall, Cambridge, Ma.s.s.

Department O, Social Economy, Miss Jane Addams, Chicago, Ill.

The committee of awards regrets that the discretionary power of the Exposition Company restricted the appointive power of the board, and that the late hour of the appointments prevented a number of the jurors from accepting.

It was a great pleasure to the members of the board and the committee to meet and to entertain the clever and attractive women jurors, who served with distinction in their work and who in every possible way showed their appreciation of the honor conferred upon them by the board of lady managers of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

Respectfully submitted.

FRANCES MARION HANGER, _Chairman._ JENNIE GILMORE KNOTT.

LAVINIA H. EGAN.

FANNIE LOWRY PORTER.

HELEN BOICE-HUNSICKER.

Madam PRESIDENT, _Board of Lady Managers._

The tenth meeting of the board was called on November 9, 1904. Many matters in connection with the closing of the work of the board in St.

Louis were disposed of, and the following resolution pa.s.sed concerning the preparation of its final report:

I move that the president of this board be requested to make a final report of the work of this board.

On December 2 the last session of the board was held in the building which it had occupied during all the months of the exposition, and it was with a feeling of genuine regret that the members separated, never to meet again in the house which had been the scene of many interesting gatherings.

On the day following the official closing of the exposition the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company sent their representative to make an inventory of the contents of the building, preparatory to the dismantling of the house which was thereafter to be known as the Physics Building and be occupied by students of the Was.h.i.+ngton University. On December 13 formal and final surrender was made by the president on behalf of the board of lady managers to the Exposition Company.

The following is the final report of the house committee for the exposition period:

On the 30th day of April, 1904, at the opening of the greatest exposition the world has ever known, and commemorating one of the most important events in the history of our country, the board of lady managers, created by act of Congress and appointed by the National Commission, designed by the wisdom and forethought of one of our most dearly beloved Chief Executives, to represent the women of America in setting forth to the world woman's part, not only in the making of the exposition but in the real expansion and development of our great nation, found itself, by a combination of circ.u.mstances fortuitous or otherwise, resolved into a committee on entertainment, with a commodious and elegantly appointed home to call its own and the appropriation of $100,000 to spend on furnis.h.i.+ng, entertaining, and necessary expenses of the board. It is therefore the pleasure of this your house committee to report for the entire exposition period beginning April 30, 1904, and ending December 1, 1905, the house in order each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for the reception of the public and for a series of entertainments, which, by reason of the number of distinguished men and women thus brought together, were international in character, and of a nature and brilliancy in the highest degree pleasing to the board itself. During this time some 25,000 guests were entertained by the board at the special functions and the informal afternoon teas, the latter having been made a most attractive and interesting feature, dispensing the board's hospitality toward the close of the Fair. For every month, save August, a number of formal affairs were given, including luncheons, receptions, and dinners.

It was particularly fitting that the initial feast spread by the board of lady managers in its exposition home should have been given in honor of the National Commission, the Government's representative in the great World's Fair. To this dinner, given on the evening of the 30th of April, under the trying circ.u.mstances attendant upon a day strenuous with opening exercises and the disadvantages of the rapid adjustment of household arrangements, 100 guests were bidden, among them Secretary Taft, who represented the President of the United States in the opening events, members of the Senate and House committees, and governors of States. President Carter of the National Commission was toastmaster on this occasion, and toasts were given by President David R. Francis, Senator Daniel, Congressman Tawney, and Hon. M.H. de Young.

A reception in honor of Mrs. David R. Francis followed on May 9, to which 500 guests were invited.

On May 17 a brilliant company of 500 was entertained at an afternoon reception in honor of the representatives of the Army and Navy in and near St. Louis. Ladies of the Army and Navy a.s.sisted in receiving, and many distinguished persons were present.

On May 19, immediately following the Louisiana Purchase Day exercises of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, a luncheon was given by the board of lady managers in honor of the delegates to the General Federation.

Miss Alice Roosevelt was the honoree of a luncheon given on May 31, to which 600 guests were bidden. The affair was most charming and successful.

Having thus during the opening month announced itself, the board of lady managers continued during the exposition to contribute its quota to the social life of the great fair.

The distinguished foreigners whom it was the privilege of the board to especially honor were the representatives of foreign governments, with a reception on June 17; Prince Pu Lun, to whom a dinner of 52 covers was given on July 10, and Prince Fus.h.i.+mi, for whom a reception was held on November 22. Receptions to the Interparliamentary Union on September 12 and to the Congress of Arts and Sciences on September 20 were also international in character, a number of distinguished foreigners being present.

Among the special functions given, none was more successful or more brilliant than the dinner in honor of President David R.

Francis, on November 12, to which 140 guests were invited.

The building of the board of lady managers, with the changes made by the board, was, both in its appointments and location, admirably adapted for the purpose for which it was set aside, and in itself was a tribute to the necessity and advantage of cooperation on the part of the board.

The whole lower floor of the building was beautifully fitted up for the reception and entertainment of guests and the upper floor was reserved for the private use of the board, being divided into board room, secretary's room, reception room, apartments for the president of the board, and quarters for all members of the board who wished to avail themselves of the hospitality of the home while in the city.

The house was conducted as any well-organized household under the direction of the rotating committee, composed of the resident members in St. Louis, and the members rotating each month. They were ably a.s.sisted by a very capable hostess.

The house committee are greatly indebted to Miss Julia McBlair, for the gracious manner in which she served the board as hostess during the period of the exposition.

The work of the house committee is so closely allied to that of the committee on ceremonies that it is somewhat difficult to draw a line between the duties of the two or to set forth in a formal report the differences.

For details of the work of house committee preliminary to entertainments, reference is made to report of entertainment and ceremonies committees, and for details of house furnis.h.i.+ngs reference is made to house furnis.h.i.+ng committee.

Without wis.h.i.+ng to discriminate in the least, thanks are especially due to Weil's band, of St. Louis, Mo., for their never-failing courtesy in supplying music for the entertainments of the board whenever it was possible for their engagements to permit, and to the leader, Mr. William Weil, for his personal interest.

To the commissioner from Ceylon, Mr. Stanley Bois, the board would especially express their thanks for the tea from his commission, which was used and enjoyed by the members of the board and their guests, and also to the representatives of the j.a.panese commission, who presented the chests of tea from which, together with that sent by the commissioner from Ceylon, all afternoon teas and receptions and luncheons of the board were supplied, to the great pleasure and enjoyment of their tea-drinking friends. Department of Horticulture for their gifts of choice fruit, and the California commission for beautiful basket of fruit on "California Day." To the agent who, through Messrs. Nicholson & Co., of St. Louis, presented two cases of champagne; and Colorado horticulture for baskets of fruit.

The house committee particularly appreciated the courtesy extended to the board of lady managers by Lieutenant-Colonel Kingsbury and Lieutenant-Colonel Fountain and officers of the Jefferson Guards for constantly providing a guard for their building.

SALENA V. ERNEST, Chairman.

Immediately upon the adjournment of the board the president began to collect material for the report, and pursuant to the power given her by the resolution at the last session, held in St. Louis, a special meeting was called on June 9, 1905, at the Murray Hill Hotel, New York, to pa.s.s upon the final report.

There were present: Mrs. Daniel Manning, president, presiding, and Mrs.

Buchwalter; Mrs. Hanger, acting secretary; Mrs. Knott, Mrs. Daly, Mrs.

Holcombe, Mrs. Ernest, Mrs. Coleman, Miss Dawes, Mrs. Hunsicker, Mrs.

Moores, and Miss Egan.

The report was to be transmitted to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission, whose final meeting was called at Portland, Oreg., for June 15. It was, therefore, necessary that the report of the board should be in the hands of the Commission by that time, and it was most fortunate that immediate action could be taken upon the copy and forwarded to the Commission.

Among the reports made by special committees was that of the committee to edit minutes, which showed that a resolution adopted, at the meeting of the board on November 14, 1904, provided for the editing the minutes of the board and had named the following committee: Mrs. Frederick Hanger, chairman; Mrs. Finis P. Ernest, and Miss Anna L. Dawes. At the meeting of the board on June 10 the chairman of the committee reported that the stenographic reports of the proceedings of the ten meetings of the board, covering about 700 typewritten pages, had been carefully edited; that all motions and resolutions had been retained inviolate; that these, with roll call, time and place of meeting, and in some instances limited discussion, made up the subject-matter of the minutes, the same covering some 240 typewritten pages. The report of the editing committee was adopted, the minutes accepted and ordered placed on file with the archives of the board.

A committee on resolutions, consisting of Mrs. Edward Buchwalter and Mrs. Richard W. Knott, presented as one of the finalities of the eleventh meeting of the board the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:

Whereas the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission by authority vested in it by an act of Congress appointed the members of the board of lady managers; therefore, be it

_Resolved_, That the board of lady managers of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition expresses its appreciation of the high honor conferred on its members by their appointment; and

_Be it further resolved_, That the thanks of the board of lady managers be extended to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission for the privileges and pleasures it enjoyed as a board.

The members of the board of lady managers of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition wish to express their appreciation of the courtesy and kindness shown them by the Exposition Company during the exposition period.

The board of lady managers express their appreciation to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company for the commemorative diplomas and medals conferred upon them by the Exposition Company.

The board of lady managers of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition wishes to express its appreciation of its officers for their services not only in their official work but in all the duties that devolved upon them as members of the board.

Mrs. William H. Coleman was elected treasurer of the board of lady managers at its first formal meeting, held on October 1, 1902.