Our President Says

OUR PRESIDENT SAYS:

The Historical Society is greatly indebted to the pastor and the members of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church for allowing us to hold our meeting on May 22, 1965, in the Educational Hall of the church.

The officers and many members of our society attended the dedication of the new County Office Building on September 18, 1965. County Clerk, Mr. Frederic A. Smith, a trustee of the society, has used an interesting display of rare old Dutchess County maps which adds to the attractiveness of the building.

Plans are being made for a visit to Dutchess County by Mr. Lawrence F. O'Brien, United States Postmaster General, on January 30, 1966, when the new 6-cent postage stamp honoring former President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the "Prominent American" series will be issued at Hyde Park.

Dover Publications, Inc., of New York, has reproduced Nliss Helen Wilkinson Reynolds' Dutch Houses in the Hudson Valley before 1776. The original edition was published in 1929 under the auspices of the Holland Society of New York and was soon exhausted.

The annual Open House at Glebe House was held on December 12 and once more was very well attended, not only by members of the society and city officials but also by many others. The Glebe House Committees of the society and of the Junior League of Poughkeepsie acted as hostesses and the guests were received by the officers of both organizations. Restoration of the kitchen is nearing completion and the work in this area of the old house promises to be of great interest. The committees of the Junior League and of our society are to be congratulated for their untiring work in the project.

During the past year the officers of our society have addressed the members of several organizations on subjects of local historical interest. Your President was the guest speaker at a meeting of The Little Nine Partners Historical Society. He and Mrs. Van Kleeck were honored by election to Honorary Life Membership in that society.

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The President calls your attention to the listing in this year book of the several publications sponsored by your society, some of which are still available. Your library should contain a copy of each of these valuable historical volumes.

It is with deep regret that we record the deaths of many prominent members of our society during the year. Included in the list are Dr. Edwin R. Van Kleeck, Mrs. Theodore V. K. Swift and Mrs. F. Irving Bower. Dr. Van Kleeck was the New York State Assistant Commissioner of Education for Pupil Personnel Services and Adult Education for the past fourteen years. He was a trustee of the Albany County Historical Society and a former vice-president of the Dutch Settlers Society of Albany. He will be remembered as the speaker at our annual meeting in 1953 on "Shaking the Family Tree." Mrs. Swift, a member since 1931, had served several terms as a trustee of the society and at the time of her death was a trustee and the chairman of the Glebe House Committee. Mrs. Bower was the speaker at the fiftieth anniversary meeting of the society, held at Pleasant Valley in 1964. Others who were members for twenty-five years or more included Miss Irene M. Braman, Mr. LaVerne M. Bull, Miss Alethea D. Halliday, Mrs. Harold A. McLaughlin, Miss Jean Earl Moehle, Mrs. George L. Nickerson, Miss Ann M. Platt, Mr. E. Everett Rowe, Mrs. Robert L. Smith and Miss May Belle Williams.

As the year book goes to press, announcement is made of the appointment of Dr. Louis Leonard Tucker as the new State Historian. Dr. Tucker, a native of Connecticut, received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Washington, specializing in colonial history. He has taught in colleges, is the author of several books and articles and, since 1960, has been director of the Cincinnati Historical Society.

Baltus Barentszen Van Kleeck

'We call the reader's attention to the excellent address before the Ulster County Historical Society by Hon. Abraham Bruyn Hasbrouck. We intended to offer some remarks concerning the formation of a Dutchess County Historical Society, but shall defer them until another time. Poughkeepsie Telegraph, May 1, 1860

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