ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 13

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

All of the members of the professional staff of the Hall of Records
are expected to keep abreast of developments in their respective fields and
to contribute as individuals and as members of organizations to work in the
fields of archival practice and local history. One of our chief interests is,
of course, the Society of American Archivists. At the annual meeting of
that group, held in Lexington, Kentucky, October 27, 28, 1952, which was
attended by Roger Thomas and John P. Hively; Mr. Thomas was reelected
Secretary for a third term, and the Archivist was elected to the Council for
a five year term.

Mr. Skordas continued as a member of the Committee for Archival
Buildings and Equipment, Miss Gardner was made a member of the Micro-
film Committee; and the Archivist served on the State Archives Committee,
the Joint Committee on Local Depositories for Federal Archives and the
Committee for the Revision of the Constitution. The Archivist was the
speaker at the joint luncheon meeting of the American Historical Associa-
tion and the Society of American Archivists, held in Washington, December
29, 1952. Several members of the staff also attended this meeting, and Miss
Gardner, who is a member of the National Microfilm Association, attended
the annual meeting of that group which was held in New York City,
March 19, 20, 1953.

Since no local historical agency existed in Annapolis at the time that
Historic Annapolis, Incorporated was organized, we have been glad to be of
use to that organization. The Archivist has served from the start as a mem-
ber of the Board of Governors and as a member of the Historical Committee;
and the Board and several of the committees met regularly in our building.
The Archivist was appointed to membership in the State Art Committee by
Governor McKeldin, January 27, 1953.

The Annual Report of the Archivist is surely not the place to list all
our many visitors and to describe the interests which brought them to the
Hall of Records; however, a sampling will give some indication of the pro-
portions of these interests. Mr. Thomas J. Gibson, Librarian of the State of
Texas, came to observe archival methods. Professor Charles B. Clark, Head
of the Department of History and Political Science of Washington College,
brought his advanced class in American History. Some sixty members of the
Coppage family came to the Hall of Records in the course of their annual