PURPOSE

The main purposes of the Association are the advancement of professional standards among historians, the promotion of general interest in history, and the dissemination of the organization's views on matters relating to history.  Membership is open to all persons with faculty appointments at state and private universities, colleges, and community colleges and to others who are interested in the objectives of the Association.

There are no dues for the organization.  Rather, at each meeting, we ask for contributions from those attending.  We also take up a collection for National History Day, a program to promote history among high school students.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1998-99 officers

• President: Darin Murphy (Yakima Valley Community College)
• Vice-President:
• Secretary/Treasurer: Rick Williams (Washington State University)
Directors
 
• Steve Charry (Central Washington University)
• Tom Wellock (Central Washington University)
• Brenda Teals (Columbia Basin Community College
 

MEETINGS

The association meets once a year in October at one of the university or college campuses in the state.  Meetings consist of informal discussion in the morning, luncheon, an after-luncheon talk, and a business meeting.

THE NEXT MEETING

The next meeting is scheduled to be held in on November 6, 1999, at Ellensburg, WA hosted by Central Washington University.

The annual meeting of the Association of Washington Historians will be hosted by Central Washington University, Ellensburg, on Saturday November 6, 1999, but we will meet off campus this year. We shall gather for coffee and doughnuts at the Courtyard Coffee House (211 East 8th Avenue, a half block from the southwest corner of the CWU campus) at 10:00 a.m. At noon we will have a luncheon (price $10.00 for both lunch and coffee hour--a happy price reduction from last year!). Our luncheon speaker will be Professor Brigit A. Farley, European historian at WSU-Tri-Cities, who will speak on “Doing (and Occasionally Practicing) History in Russia in the Nineties.” A brief business meeting will follow the luncheon and the talk. We anticipate adjournment by 2 p.m.

As an added incentive to come to the meeting, Karen Blair, Chair of History at CWU has arranged a tour of the "new fancy Central Washington Archives" by archivist Tony Kurtz from 2-3 p.m.

The Board of Directors urges all historians in Washington state to attend. In the past the annual gathering of university and community college instructors has been a good way to exchange ideas and to inform ourselves of others’ problems. At the same time we have long felt a need to expand the scope of our cooperation in order to promote the study of history and to increase historical awareness within the state. Therefore, we are extending an especially warm invitation to high school teachers of history, to archivists, and to the staff of historical societies/museums. If you know of others who have not received our letter, please share this information with them and invite them to join us.

I need your help in getting an accurate attendance count. I am asking all department chairs, directors, or other organizers to inform me about the number of persons who will be attending the luncheon by Tuesday, October 14. If you are the only historian in your institution, will you also let me know by the same date? I must report the total attendance number to Karen Blair by Monday, November 1. Telephone the names of those attending to me (509) 335-4705 (I have voice mail), fax the information to (509) 335-4171 (addressed to me), or send me an e-mail at sarek@wsu.edu.

I hope you will be able to attend the meeting at Ellensburg on November 6 and will urge your colleagues and any other historians you may know to join us.

Sincerely,

Richard S. Williams Secretary-Treasurer

History, Central Washington University

History, Eastern Washington University

History, Western Washington University
 
History, University of Washington

History, Washington State University