Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/99748
Schwengel, Sen. Hubert Humphrey (also a vice president of the Society), and Melvin Payne posed for the camera while examining the first edition of the We, the People guidebook. Rundell of the American Historical Association and John Stewart of the American Political Science Assocation. Press coverage was noted and membership possibilities and officer structure were discussed, as was the purpose and scope of the organization. A subcommittee was appointed to draft a statement on purpose and scope and met the next morning to hammer it out; a membership committee met two days after that. The second meeting of the United States Historical Society took place on July 31st, with thirty-five people in attendance. A letter from President Kennedy was read, in which he stated "such a group can do much to research and provide information on the historical background and traditions of the legislative branch of our government," and wished it every success. There was a report on the first meeting for those who had not been there, and reports from the committees on questions such as the 20 THE CAPITOL DOME proposed Articles of Incorporation, Statement of Purpose and Objectives, and membership, and discussion followed. Schwengel was empowered to appoint committees on Constitution and ByLaws, Plans and Programs, and Nomination of Officers, and to appoint a temporary secretary and treasurer. Finally, Mel Payne presented a scroll that had been made up for all present to sign, with Honorary Chairman Hayden being the first, and National Geographic Society photographers on hand to document the scene. There was one other development that became apparent by the time of the July 28th meeting. Whereas on July 17th, the day before the Mansfield legislation passed the Senate and was sent to the House for consideration, Schwengel anticipated "working closely" in the future with the proposed Capitol Commission and curator, in the reporting on the Society's July 31st meeting, the Capitol Commission was described as the "Senate rival organization," and it was said, "[a] spokesman for the CHS" now says it might appoint its own curator," which was an idea that had indeed been raised at the meeting. And the fact that "Schwengel's CHS" would be privately funded, while the "Senate favored one" would be funded by the government was cited as "a major difference between the two historical groups." It would appear that Schwengel had come to the conclusion that the two ideas, first thought to be complementary, were now in direct competition with each other. They did not have to be. There could easily have been a division of labor that allowed them to coexist, just as the White House Historical Association coexisted with the White House Fine Arts Committees and Office of the Curator. But a turf war had broken out around Mansfield's legislation and Schwengel seems to have decided he had to take sides. Mansfield's Capitol Commission on Arts and Antiquities WINTER 2013