Presented By: Sherry T. Scott Dr. Jennifer Wood Final Project NPMN 600

1. US Historical Societies: Nonprofits fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history with a critical need to survive and safeguard all humanity Presented By: Sherry T. Scott Dr. Jennifer Wood Final Project NPMN 600 University of Maryland University College November 30, 2010

2. Table of Contents • Introduction • Garland County Historical Society • Brief Overview of Sources • The Antebellum South • South Carolina Historical Society • Synopsis of and Proposal for US Historical Societies • Conclusion • References Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

3. Introduction Historical Societies are nonprofits that make major cultural and historical contributions in the US. Without their dedication to collecting and preserving history, our civilization would not have a connection to our past or ancestors. They often contain valuable data including: • Birth records • Census records • Marriage records • Death records • funeral home records, cemetery records, cemetery headstone inscriptions, and obituaries from a variety of sources • Military records • Records and memorabilia from Confederate pension records to current-day military information • Miscellaneous records including poll tax lists and probate records and access to some on-line databases Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

4. Introduction (cont.) • Historical Societies must learn to diversify their revenue stream if they are to survive in the future. • With the dwindling financial resources and donations, they must become more technically savvy to compete with larger nonprofits such as museums and libraries. • James Louis Petigrew, a noted scholar and attorney general of South Carolina, once stated, “Time which is the destroyer of the works of men, gives them History in return for what it takes away” • These nonprofits are critical to our human existence and serve an important purpose as bellwethers from our past as well as to our future. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

5. Brief Overview of Sources Garland County Historical Society Hot Springs, Arkansas South Carolina Historical Society Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

6. Garland County Historical SocietyHot Springs, Arkansas Today… Quapaw Baths and Spas resortis a National Historic Landmark Yesterday… Legend has it that chiefs and warriors would bathe in the hot springs before going into a battle. Famous Bath House Row Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

7. Mission Statement - “Shaping the future by preserving the past” is the mission of The Garland County Historical Society (GCHS) in Hot Springs, Arkansas which was founded in 1960. GCHS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that contains over 20,000 photographs, printed material such as books, maps, manuscripts, and wide variety of different artifacts. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

8. Hot Springs, Arkansas The author’s late father was born in 1921 and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

9. Garland County Historical SocietyHot Springs, Arkansas Many distinguished leaders have visited Hot Springs and 42nd President of the United Statesformer President Clinton was born and raised in Arkansas President Teddy Roosevelt Hot Springs, AR circa 1936 Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

10. Many other relatives lived and worked in Hot Springs including the author’s grandfather who was employed at the famous Quapaw Baths and Spa formerly known as the Quapaw Bath House. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

11. The long journey west to Hot Springs for the Glover Family was long and arduous, but the slaves and servants were free. Many of them originated from Charleston, South Carolina after the Civil War in the late 1800’s with only a few belongings and the clothes on their backs. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

12. The Antebellum South Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning…that was unless you were a slave on a plantation…. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

13. South Carolina Historical Society Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

14. The Antebellum South Bear in mind that history in and of itself is not always pleasant nor kind, but the story must told or it runs the danger of being repeated. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

15. The Myth of Plantation Life Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

16. The Reality of Life on a Plantation Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

17. A Southern Belle’s Social Life Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

18. A Slave Family Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

19. The South Carolina Historical Society The South Carolina Historical Society (SCHS) was founded in 1855. Today over 2 million articles and artifacts are securely stored in the Fireproof Building in Charleston, SC. The structure is also a National Historic Landmark and has the largest repository of Civil War memorabilia and antebellum history both pre and post in the entire world. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

20. The South Carolina Historical Society (SCHS) During a recent visit to SCHS to do more research on local history and genealogy, the author discovered that her paternal ancestors’ vast plantation records, deeds, wills, family papers and correspondence are stored in the historical society’s Fireproof Building located on 100 Meeting Street. (See Appendix A) Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

21. A Synopsis of and Proposal for US Historical Societies • Historical Societies need to do more to educate the public about their mission and purpose and the need for their existence. • Increase fund raising dollars from multiple sources • Increase staff support by hiring independent consultants, volunteers and college interns. • US Historical Societies need to augment their archives and collections, annual budgets and donations to educational programs and events Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

22. A Synopsis of and Proposal for US Historical Societies cont. Develop more collaborative partnerships and shares resources to maximize capacity Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

23. Conclusion Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

24. Historical Societies are no longer mere “cabinets of curiosities,” but contain a wide variety of documents and data which are fundamental to educating and informing individuals about their past. Historical Societies today are becoming vital conduits which connect people in the present to their distant past. These establishments further serve as family road maps and provide a GPS into our future. Our society must support these veritable establishments, as they strive to promote and preserve history for civilization and all humanity. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

25. References 1) American Historical Association. Website- http://www.historians.org/ 2) Buettner, M. (2010). Program pairs up nonprofits and college students.  McClatchy – Tribune Business News.  Retrieved November, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Dateline. (Document ID: 1711172761). 3) Garland County Historical Society (2010) Website- http://www.garlandcountyhistoricalsociety.com/html/index.php 4) Historic Charleston Foundation (2010) Website – www.historiccharleston.org 5) Lawrence, S. (2003) History of Historical Societies in the US Article http://www.publichistory.org/features/HistoricalSocietyHistory.html 6) National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Website - http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/apply/program.html Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

26. References (cont.) 7) NOT-FOR-PROFIT OF NOTE: Indiana Historical Society. (December,2008). Indianapolis Business Journal, 29(44), 25.  Retrieved November 2010, from ABI/INFORM Dateline. (Document ID: 1627659341). 8) Perry. S. (2010) Chronicle of Philanthropy: Liberal Deficit-Cutting Plan Proposes New Charitable Tax Credit. http://philanthropy.com/blogs/government-and-politics/liberal-deficit-cutting-plan-proposes-new-charitable-tax-credit/27670?sid=&utm_source=&utm_medium=en 9) Scott, S.T. 2010. Author’s Family Stories, Oral Histories, and Folk Lore from 1965- 2010.Unpublished research. 10) South Carolina Historical Society (2010) Website http://www.southcarolinahistoricalsociety.org/?catID=17491 11) South Carolina Historical Society (2010). Carologue Fall 2010 Quarterly Publication ISSN 1544-5801. 12) South Carolina Historical Society (2010). Carologue Summer 2010 Quarterly Publication ISSN 1544-5801. 13) Quapaw Bath House and Spa. (2010) Website – http://www.quapawbaths.com/

27. Appendix A Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity

28. Historical Societies Fulfilling a legacy to promote and preserve history for all humanity