GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE AMERICAN IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The Society was organized on January 20, 1897, in Boston, Mass., and now has members in nearly all the states, the District of Columbia, one territory and four foreign countries.
The object of the organization is to make better known the Irish chapter in American history.
There are two classes of members—Life and Annual. The life membership fee is $50 (paid once). The fee for annual members is $5, paid yearly. In the case of new annual members, the initiation fee, $5, also pays the membership dues for the first year.
The government comprises a President-General, a Vice-President-General, a Secretary-General, a Treasurer-General, a Librarian and Archivist, a Historiographer and an Executive Council. There are also State Vice-Presidents.
The Society has already issued several bound volumes and a number of other publications. These have been distributed to members, public libraries, historical organizations and universities. Each member of the Society is entitled, free of charge, to a copy of every publication issued from the time of his admittance. These publications are of great interest and value, and are more than an equivalent for the membership fee.
The Society draws no lines of creed or politics. Being an American organization in spirit and principle, it welcomes to its ranks Americans of whatever race or descent, and of whatever creed, who take an interest in the objects for which the Society is organized. Membership application blanks will be furnished on request to the Secretary-General at his office, 49 Westminster Street, Providence, R. I., or to John J. Lenehan, Chairman of the Committee on Membership, 71 Nassau Street, New York City. Blank applications found at the end of this volume.
The membership includes many people of prominence and occupies a position in the front rank of American historical organizations.
The Society is a corporation duly organized under the laws of the State of Rhode Island and is authorized to take, hold and convey real and personal estate to the amount of $100,000.
Gifts or bequests of money for the uses of the Society are solicited. We depend entirely on our membership fees and dues, and if we had a suitable fund on hand its income would be most advantageously used for historical research, printing and issuing historical works and papers and adding to our library. The following is a form of bequest good in any state or territory:
“I give and bequeath to the American Irish Historical Society —— dollars.”
If desired, a donor or testator may direct the application of principal or interest of his gift or bequest.