AUTUMN 2020 American Philosophical Society News from | PRESENT | For the first time since Council endorsed and co-signed the American Historical Association’s state- BY EARLY MARCH, THE DEVASTATING 1956, the Society passed a ment on the history of racist violence in PHILOSOPHICAL implications of the COVID-19 pan- the United States: https://www.historians. demic were becoming clear. On March public resolution, which was org/news-and-advocacy/aha-advocacy/ 12, the April APS Meeting was cancelled. aha-statement-on-the-history-of-racist- HALL Fortunately, the cost of our hotel contracts addressed to the leaders of the violence-in-the-united-states-(june-2020). and most of the catering contract were for- Robert M. Hauser, Executive Officer We at the APS, with strong support from given. Despite the Meeting cancellation, U.S. House and Senate. staff, are pursuing ways to increase inclu- there were productive virtual Council and sion, diversity, equity, and access at the This account has three parts: the past November 2019 to mid-March 2020; the present Business meetings. In the course of those Society, the APS IDEA. meetings, for the first time since 1956, the lockdown, partial reopening, and social distancing; and the future—what may happen next. During the unexpected, negative events Society passed a public resolution, which The APS staff moved quickly to create of 2020, I have been buoyed by the partici- was addressed to the leaders of the U.S. and enable virtual meetings—most using pation and support of Members, Friends, Zoom—to continue regular scholarly | PAST | House and Senate. Based on “a disturbing and staff. The American Philosophical skepticism toward evidence-based policy- events and essential business meetings. Moses Williams, Cutter of Profiles, Raphaelle Society has weathered many a storm in its LAST NOVEMBER, THE FUTURE OF THE Clark Fund. In addition, we completed an making; a reluctance to accept and apply We have conducted well-attended public Peale (attr.) or Moses Williams, ca. 1803. 276 years, and this one, too, shall pass. Society appeared to have few bounds. We agreement with the Philadelphia Chamber scientific knowledge; and a lack of famil- seminars and research conferences. Brown White laid paper on black stock, 4 in. x 5 had a most successful international sym- Music Society—which rents Franklin iarity with the relevant lessons of history, bag presentations and writing workshops in. Library Company of Philadelphia (www. posium and November Meeting; had just Hall for some of its concerts—to place including long-past and more recent pan- also have been conducted virtually. We librarycompany.org). A silhouette of artist painted the Library exterior; replaced worn a splendid Hamburg Steinway piano on demics,” the resolution called for large new have decided that the Fall APS Meeting Moses Williams, Charles Willson Peale’s (APS carpets in Franklin Hall and Philosophical the stage. federal investments “to support at all levels will be held virtually from November 1786) former slave, possibly by Raphaelle Peale We at the APS, Hall; and arranged for extensive repair of Associate Director for Collections and the education of America’s youth in science, 11 to 13 with all sessions beginning or a self-portrait by Williams. the windows in Philosophical Hall, largely Exhibitions Mary Grace Wahl, Museum history, analytical thinking, and the prima- late enough in the day to accommodate with strong support In 1802, John Isaac Hawkins gave Charles with foundation support. The 2019 exhibi- staff, and Mellon Curatorial Fellows Janine cy of facts as the foundation of the nation’s Members on the West Coast. Regularly Willson Peale his physiognotrace invention, a tion, Mapping a Nation, brought in a record Yorimoto Boldt and Emily A. Margolis future health, general well-being, and secu- updated information about the Society’s from staff, are pursuing ways device for tracing profiles in miniature. Peale 190,702 visitors. And after 4 years of nego- were hard at work on the installation of rity.” The resolution appears in full on the programming is available online at https:// entrusted its operation to his slave, Moses tiation, the partnership between the APS the 2020 Museum exhibition, Dr. Franklin: inside back cover of this newsletter. It has www.amphilsoc.org/virtual-offerings. to increase inclusion, and the David Library of the American Citizen Scientist. And, of course, thanks Williams, who became particularly skilled at been shared with more than 200 scientific On July 6, after the development of well- diversity, equity, and cutting intricate, accurate likenesses. Williams’s Revolution created the new David Center to Director of Meetings Annie Westcott and scholarly organizations and is available researched policies and practices, APS fa- for the American Revolution at the APS. silhouettes became popular souvenirs for and the Committee on Meetings, plans online at https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/ cilities again opened to staff but not to the access at the Society. visitors to Peale’s Museum—as many as 8,000 In 2019, we received a total of $920,760 were well underway for the April 2020 aps-membership-issues-rare-public-reso- public. Under present city and state guide- visitors bought them each year. However, each in gifts from Members and Friends to the Meeting—a fabulous program, a cater- lution-light-covid-19-preparedness. lines, work from home is still encouraged was just stamped “Museum” or left unsigned, Fund for the APS, a modest increase from ing contract, and room contracts with the On March 13, the April opening of and practiced by most staff. However, the so Williams’s attribution as an artist was 2018. The APS endowment reached an all- Monaco and Marriott Renaissance hotels. the Museum exhibition was postponed Conservation lab has reopened, and instal- obscured. Once freed, Williams married the time high, over $220 million, at the end of The March 10 meeting of the Committee indefinitely. And by the beginning of the lation of the Museum exhibition has been December. Peale family’s white cook and used his profits on Publications included a fruitful dis- following week—partly due to orders completed. Dr. Franklin: Citizen Scientist We received a couple of exceptional gifts. to buy a two-story house. cussion of future collaboration with the from the mayor and governor—the APS will not be open to the public until at least Martine A. Rothblatt (APS 2008) and University of Pennsylvania Press. closed completely, excepting only routine April 2021. However, work is now under- Bina Aspen Rothblatt generously funded visits by facility staff to assure security way to create a high-quality video of the two endowments—the Martine A. and and maintenance of the infrastructure. exhibition that will be accompanied by Bina Aspen Rothblatt Digital Archivist The APS staff began working from home, narration and activities for both school- Fund and the Franklin Conjecture Lecture to the extent possible. No APS staff were children and adults. Fund in support of a quadrennial lecture The Rothblatt Papers will diagnosed with COVID-19, and we Volume 22 on the topic of biostasis, beginning in developed a continuity plan for staff, that add tremendously to our | FUTURE | Published yearly by the 2024. In addition, the Rothblatts will do- is, a guidance about who would succeed American Philosophical Society nate their papers to the APS Library & History of Science collections, any member of the staff who could no NO ONE KNOWS WHEN APS OPERATIONS 104 South 5th Street Museum. The Rothblatt Papers will add longer perform their duties. will return to anything like their past. Will Philadelphia, PA 19106-3387 tremendously to our History of Science particularly in the areas The Society guaranteed full pay to all the epidemic continue in the fall? When Detail from Silhouette sheet, collections, particularly in the areas of staff, including the Museum Guides, who will—and should—the present restrictions Moses Williams, c. 1802–1825. APS. President: Linda Greenhouse biostasis, commercial satellite-based elec- of biostasis, commercial usually work part-time, part-year, during on social interaction be lifted? The best we Peale-Sellers Family Collection. Executive Officer: Robert M. Hauser tronic communication, human health, and a training period and when the Museum can do is stay informed and flexible in deal- Please send comments to computing. We also received a very large satellite-based electronic is open. The budgetary impact of that ing with whatever lies ahead. Alison Swety Beninato, Associate bequest from the estate of the late Sibyl communication, human promise was mitigated by a successful The APS has been attentive to the ur- Editor, at [email protected]. Golden, daughter of William T. Golden application for salary support to nonprofit gent concerns about racial injustice raised (APS 1982), which will add substantially health, and computing. organizations under the CARES Act. by the killing of George Floyd. The APS to research support from the Lewis & 1 that emphasized racial and gender deter- clusion, diversity, equity, and access in much Council includes two other Black Members minism. Today the papers of Franz Boas of what it does and, more importantly, what and 13 women Members. Diversity is (APS 1903), one of the founders of mod- it endeavors to do in the future. an important aspect of committees that ern anthropology, are one of the jewels of The APS membership is striving to influence and determine the future of the The APS and the Library. Boas rejected eugenic ideas achieve a balance of gender, race, ethnicity, Society. The Chair and another member of that stressed biological sources of racial and geographical location among its the six-person Committee on Nomination and ethnic differences. Such ideas were goals. Of current Resident Members, 246 of Officers are Black and three members prominent in his day, and one of their (29 percent) are women, 44 are Black (5 are women.