ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 17

elected Chairman and Colonel Woodcock, Secretary and Treasurer.
The Commission then designated a Committee composed of Judge
Bond, Dr. Ames and Colonel Woodcock "to select an Archivist and
to organize the work." This Committee met on April 16 and decided
to ask an opinion of the Attorney General concerning the authority
of the Commission over certain records in the office of the Land Com-
missioner. Its major task of selecting an Archivist was not neglected,
however, for we find that on May 16 it was ready to recommend to
the Commission the appointment of Dr. James A. Robertson, and
on May 24 its recommendation was accepted. Dr. Robertson was
asked to take up his duties on October 1, the first day of the new
fiscal year, since no funds would be available before that time.

At the next meeting of the Commission, October 3, the an-
nouncement was made that Dr. Robertson had assumed charge of
the Hall of Records. Unfortunately, no regular appropriation had
been made for the Hall of Records and the first funds available were
set aside for this purpose by the Board of Public Works. Due to the
stringency of the times this fund amounted to only $15,000 from
which all salaries were to be paid, the Board of Public Works prom-
ising in its turn to provide such additional furnishings and equip-
ment as might be necessary. Since one-third of this amount had al-
ready been reserved for the salary of the Archivist, there was obvi-
ously not enough left to staff the Hall at the start as fully as the
Commission had previously hoped. It is again a reflection of the
times that a staff of four professional employees, excluding the Ar-
chivist, and five maintenance workers were engaged for $10,000. The
names of three professional employees were then submitted and ap-
proved. Finally the chairman was asked to consider the drafting
of regulations for the conduct of the Hall of Records.

The next meeting, May 26, 1936, was devoted to routine busi-
ness. Messrs. Bond, Gordy and Woodcock were appointed a com-
mittee to make future appointments to the staff as more funds be-
came available. The matter of collecting biographies was discussed
at length but carried over; the collection of Indian relics formerly
housed in the Capitol was accepted for display at the Hall; and it
was decided that the Commission accept all proffered gifts of books,
the Chairman then to distribute them as he thought best. Finally
the Commission by means of a resolution asked that the Maryland