6 SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT

The Commission held one meeting in the course of the year, February
18, 1952. The first order of business was the election of Dr. Weigle as
Vice Chairman to succeed Dr. J. Hall Pleasants who had retired after the
last previous meeting. Authorization was then granted for the transfer of
five Audubon letters to the Maryland State Library for exhibition purposes.
The Commission approved Governor McKeldin's proposal that the Archi-
vist be permitted to assist in the survey of State records to be undertaken
by Records Engineering, Incorporated of Washington. At Mr. Tawes' sug-
gestion the Archivist was instructed to continue his editorship of the Mary-
land Manual at the pleasure of the Governor.

Judge Marbury discussed the publication of the Chancery Records
and the Commission agreed with him that the project was a good one.
The Archivist explained the difficulties involved and reported that the
work was well under way.

In an effort to avoid duplication of effort the Archivist had prepared
a proposal for the Council of the Maryland Historical Society in which
the field of acquisition of Maryland materials was delimited. The proposal
was approved by the Commission and has subsequently been submitted
to the Historical Society. Among other routine matters on the agenda was
the problem of additional storage space for the Hall of Records and the
approval of temporary appointments to the staff. The meeting adjourned
at 4:30 P.M., having been called to order by the Chairman shortly after
three o'clock.

All the members of the Commission listed here served throughout the
year. However, shortly after the end of the fiscal year, August 23, 1952,
Judge Marbury, having reached the statutory age limit, retired as Chief
Judge of the Court of Appeals, and therefore, ceased to be a member of the
Commission. Judge Marbury had been a member of the Commission since
April 4, 1944, when he took the oath of office, and he had been chairman
since June 7, 1944. During this period of over eight years neither his in-
terest in the work of the Hall of Records nor his patience with the Archi-
vist and his staff seemed ever to lessen. As a consequence the Hall of
Records has prospered.