Society Business:
ANS COUNCILLORS ELECTED AT ANNUAL MEETING
At the 1997 Annual Meeting of the ANS, held at the Society's headquarters on October 25, five incumbent members and two new members were elected to terms as ANS Councillors. Their names were placed in nomination by Mrs. Margo Russell, a member of the Nominating Committee.
Incumbents, term ending 2000
Kenneth L. Edlow of New York City is the Secretary of Bear, Stearns & Co., Chairman of the Society's Governance and the Operations and Management Committees, and a member of the Executive, Finance, and Personnel Committees.
Arthur A. Houghton III of Washington, DC, is the principal of Arthur Houghton Associates and the current President of the ANS.
Eric P. Newman of St. Louis is retired Secretary of Edison Bros., a member of the Society's Executive Committee, and an eminent student of early American numismatics who was awarded the Society's Huntington Medal for distinguished numismatic scholarship in 1978.
Donald G. Partrick of Islandia, NY, is President of Heatherwood Corp., a member of the Executive, Finance, Governance, and Operations and Management Committees, and the First Vice-President of the Society.
Landon Thomas of New York is Vice-Chairman of Fiduciary Trust Co., International, a member of the Society's Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Finance Committee.
Two New Councillors
Clifford L. Mishler of Iola, WI, is President of Krause Publications, a Life Fellow of the ANS since 1978, and the author or co-author of several standard reference catalogues in modern numismatics and will serve for the term ending 1999.
Ellen D. Reeder of Baltimore, MD, is Curator of Ancient Art at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. She received her Ph.D. in classical archaeology from Princeton in 1974 and has held academic appointments at George Washington University and Johns Hopkins. Among other works, she is the author of Hellenistic Art in the Walters Art Gallery, published in 1988, and Pandora: Women in Classical Greece, issued in 1995. She will serve for the term ending 2000.
Damsky Resigns Seat on Council
Ben Lee Damsky, elected to the Society's Council in 1996, has resigned as of October 1, 1997. A west coast resident, Mr. Damsky found the demands on Councillors, with four meetings each year in New York in addition to committee appointments, to be in frequent conflict with his business responsibilities. His resignation was accepted with great regret by the Council at its October 25 meeting. Mr. Damsky continues to be an active Fellow of the Society and generous supporter of the Roman cabinet.
Composition of the Council
In accordance with Article 3.12 of the Society's By-Laws, as amended, the ANS governing Council is divided into three classes, each serving three-year terms.
Term Ending October 1998
Jere L. Bacharach; Roger A. Hornsby; John H. Kroll; Thomas R. Martin; and Stephen K. Scher.
Term Ending October 1999
Harry W. Bass Jr.; Martha Carter; Jonathan H. Kagan; Clifford L. Mishler; Mrs. Marion G. Russell; and Arnold-Peter Weiss.
Term Ending October 2000
Kenneth L. Edlow; Arthur A. Houghton III; Eric P. Newman; Donald G. Partrick; Ellen D. Reeder; and Landon Thomas.
ANS OFFICERS ELECTED
At the Society's Organizational Meeting following the Annual Meeting of the ANS on October 25, 1997, the Council elected the following Officers to serve for the coming year:
President, Arthur A. Houghton III; First Vice President, Donald G. Partrick; Second Vice President, Roger A. Hornsby; Executive Director and Secretary, Leslie A. Elam; Treasurer, Landon Thomas; Assistant Treasurer, Terrance Lindall.
Committees of the Council
ANS President Arthur A. Houghton confirmed the following Officers and Past President as members of the Executive Committee: Arthur A. Houghton III, Chair; Harry W. Bass Jr.; Roger A. Hornsby; Donald G. Partrick; and appointed as additional members: Mrs. Marion G. Russell; Kenneth L. Edlow; and Eric P. Newman. Mr. Elam serves as Secretary of the Executive Committee.
Mr. Houghton also appointed the following to serve as members of the Finance Committee: Landon Thomas, Chair; Kenneth L. Edlow; Arthur A. Houghton III; Jonathan H. Kagan; Donald G. Partrick; and Arnold-Peter Weiss.
In addition, Mr. Houghton confirmed the appointment of three additional Council Committees established in the past two years.
Governance Committee: Kenneth L. Edlow, Chair; Harry W. Bass Jr.; Arthur A. Houghton; Thomas R. Martin; Donald G. Partrick; Mrs. Marion G. Russell; and Leslie A. Elam, Secretary.
Operations and Management Committee: Kenneth L. Edlow, Chair; Arthur A. Houghton; Jonathan H. Kagan; John H. Kroll; Clifford L. Mishler, Donald G. Partrick; Stephen K. Scher; Arnold-Peter Weiss; and Leslie A. Elam, Secretary.
Personnel Committee: Martha Carter, Chair; Kenneth L. Edlow; Thomas R. Martin; Ellen D. Reeder; Arnold-Peter Weiss, and Leslie A. Elam, Secretary.
CONSTITUTION, BY-LAWS
Several amendments to the Society's Constitution and By-Laws were approved at meetings of the ANS Council and membership on October 25. These changes allow the Society's governance documents to conform to the decision taken by the Council at its July meeting to appoint Mr. Elam as Executive Director of the ANS with expanded administrative responsibilities. A new edition of the ANS Constitution and By-Laws, last issued in 1989, will be distributed in early 1998 together with the 1997 Annual Report.
Amendments to ANS Constitution
Article 6.4.
Ex-Presidents and Ex-Councillors may, by a majority vote at any regular meeting of the Society, be elected respectively Honorary Presidents or Honorary Councilors for Life. They may attend and participate in, but not vote at any meeting of the Council, and shall not be considered as forming a part of its prescribed members. The Executive Director may, by invitation of the Council, attend and participate in, but not vote at any meeting of the Council.
Article 7.1.
As soon as possible after each Annual Meeting, the Council shall elect from its membership a President and not more than three Vice-Presidents; it shall also elect an Executive Director; and it shall also elect a Treasurer, and a Secretary; all of them shall serve for terms of one year and until their successors are elected and qualified. It shall, from time to time, elect such other officers as it may deem desirable, all of whom shall serve at the pleasure of the Council. Two or more offices may be held by one person.
Article 7.3.
In the event of the death, disability, refusal to act, or absence of the President, the senior available Vice-President shall be President pro tem. In the event of the death, disability, refusal to act, or absence of all Vice-Presidents, the Executive Director shall be President pro tem.
Article 7.4.
The Executive Director shall be an officer of the Society and at the discretion of the Council may be a salaried officer. The Executive Director shall have general supervision of all activities of the Society including the direction and coordination of the work of the various departments. The Executive Director shall be the executive officer for the Council performing such of its duties as it may direct, and shall report directly to the Council. The Executive Director may make recommendations to the Council as to coordination of interdepartmental activities and the execution of policies established by the Council.
Article 7.7.
All instruments requiring the corporate seal may be executed by either the President, Vice-President, Treasurer or Executive Director, and the Secretary or Assistant Treasurer.
By-Law Amendments
At its meeting of October 25, the Society's Council adopted the following amendments to the ANS By-Laws, paralleling the sections of the ANS Constitution pertaining to the duties and responsibilities of the position of Executive Director.
Article 6.2.
The Executive Director shall be an officer of the Society and shall supervise all activities of the Society.
Article 6.4.
The Chief Curator shall be a salaried officer and shall have charge of the cabinets and other collections of the Society and of all collections lent to it. He shall supervise the training and work of the curatorial staff and perform such specific duties as may be designated by the Council.
Article 6.7.
The Librarian shall be a salaried officer, and shall have charge of the Library of the Society. He shall supervise the training and work of the staff and perform such specific duties as may be designated by the Council.
Article 6.9.
The Chief Curator, Librarian and Editor shall report to the Council, in writing through the Executive Director, at its meetings, upon the accessions and activities within their respective fields, and shall perform such other duties as the Council may direct.
Article 6.11.
The Chief Curator and the Librarian shall have authority, in their respective fields, to determine what items in the Society's cabinets, library and collections are duplicates and not needed for the work of the Society, and shall report to the Council, in writing through the Executive Director, on all sales or exchanges of such items.
Article 8.5.
Councillors, accompanied by not more than two companions each, the Secretary, the Executive Director, the members of the curatorial staff, and such other members of the staff of the Society as may be designated by resolution of the Council, shall be entitled to admission to the coin vaults. All other persons shall be admitted thereto only when accompanied by the Executive Director, by the Chief Curator, or by the Secretary; the Chief Curator shall have power to designate members of the curatorial staff to perform such functions for any one or more of the vaults, and shall report such action, in writing through the Executive Director, to the Council at its next succeeding meeting.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SOUGHT
In anticipation of a greatly expanded public role, the ANS has established a new administrative position of Assistant Director and is now seeking a highly qualified candidate to join the staff early in 1998. Notices inviting applications have been placed in leading professional journals and distributed to colleagues here and abroad in an effort to circulate this career opportunity to the widest appropriate audience. Recommendations or expressions of interest are welcome from the membership and should be addressed to Mr. Leslie A. Elam, Executive Director, ANS, Broadway at 155th Street, New York, NY 10032 or by e-mail to elam@amnumsoc.org.
Job Description
The Assistant Director reports to the Executive Director and serves as deputy administrative officer of the Society. He/she is expected to acquire competence in ANS management policies and procedures in the areas of administration, finance, plant and equipment, safety and security, fund raising, public relations, personnel, and technological developments.
The Assistant Director will have direct administrative responsibility for coordinating interdepartmental programs and projects, including exhibitions, public programs, marketing ventures and revenue opportunities, ANS membership promotion and retention, and will supervise the recruitment, deployment, and well-being of museum volunteers.
The ANS is seeking to move to new and larger quarters in lower Manhattan some time in the next several years. The Assistant Director will assume responsibility for many aspects of this important change in the life and mission of the ANS and should expect to devote a significant portion of his/her time and energies toward this objective.
Qualifications and Expectations
The Assistant Director will have a degree or demonstrated competence in a humanities discipline. Preference will be given to candidates with at least two years' experience in a managerial capacity at a museum or other cultural institution and a proven track record in successful grant writing for museum or other cultural-related programs and administration of funded projects. The Assistant Director will possess the leadership and organizational skills necessary to oversee and coordinate museum-wide projects.
The Assistant Director will coordinate the implementation of the Society's future exhibition and educational programs, both at the ANS and elsewhere. He/she will direct the work of teams (staff, contract employees, consultants, volunteers) brought together for specific projects, and will have primary responsibility for soliciting the necessary financial support. He/she will have or acquire an understanding of the role of numismatics as a humanistic discipline and of the objects as historical artifacts and artistic creations, and be capable of articulating, in private and public forums, the importance of the Society's mission and the unique quality of the Society's library, collections, and professional staff. He/she will be expected to possess or acquire sufficient computer skills to assure that ANS programs fully realize the potential of electronic media in reaching and holding the interest of our audiences. The Assistant Director may be expected to administer the Society's Museum Store at the new location, including staffing, inventory, and marketing aspects.
ANS STATEMENT OF ETHICS
The American Numismatic Society has formally adopted a Statement of Ethics, as confirmed at the October meeting of its governing Council. The Statement, drafted originally by ANS senior staff, for the most part codifies and clarifies long-standing ANS policy on a broad range of ethical issues. In turn, the document was reviewed extensively by the ANS Personnel Committee which submitted it to the Council for discussion and confirmation.
Adoption of the Society's Statement of Ethics obeys a mandate of the American Association of Museums, which issued a general code of ethics for museums in 1994 and, in turn, requires accredited member cultural institutions to adopt their own formal codes during 1997. The ANS was originally accredited by the AAM in 1976, one of the earliest museums in the nation to be so recognized for adherence to professional standards.
The Society's Council will review the Statement of Ethics periodically toward adopting changes reflective of experience and current practices and standards. Comments and suggestions are welcome as an aid to this process.
Text of Statement
Introduction
The American Numismatic Society, a publicly funded, not-for-profit organization founded in 1858, is the preeminent national institution advancing the study and appreciation of coins, medals, and related objects of all cultures, as historical and artistic documents. A membership organization, the ANS owns and maintains one of the foremost numismatic collections and library, supports scholarly research and publications in the discipline, and sponsors educational and interpretive programs for diverse audiences.
The ANS expects all full or part-time compensated employees (staff members) to conduct themselves in accordance with the high ethical standards of the organization and to strive toward realization of the Society's mission. Staff members are expected to adopt high personal standards of work performance, punctuality, attendance and personal conduct. As a member of the American Association of Museums, the ANS subscribes to the AAM Code of Ethics for Museums, as promulgated by the Society in this ANS Statement of Ethics.
General Principles
These guidelines are informed by the following principles:
Staff members owe their first professional loyalty to the Society and should fully and conscientiously fulfill the responsibilities of their Society employment.
Staff members should avoid both conflict of interest and the appearance of such conflict.
Staff members should not use their position at the Society for personal gain.
Staff members should maintain the good name of the ANS throughout the community and not misuse its name, reputation, property, or services.
Personal Collecting
No numismatic item belonging to a staff member shall be housed on the Society's premises, nor shall a staff member use the Society's premises for any activities pertaining to his or her personal collection.
Any staff member possessing a personal numismatic collection must deposit a detailed inventory with the Society and agree to make no additions or subtractions, either by purchase, gift, or exchange, without giving the Society first refusal.
Inventories of staff personal numismatic collections must be maintained on a current basis and all changes must be brought to the attention of the Chief Curator. It will be the responsibility of the Chief Curator to make certain that the frequency and scope of transactions do not constitute dealing, which is strictly prohibited.
Intramural Transfers of Numismatic Material
No staff member may purchase (except at auction) or acquire by exchange numismatic material belonging to the Society without an outside appraisal and prior approval of the Council.
Any gift or sale to the Society by a staff member must be approved by the Chief Curator and the curator directly concerned. No material acquired by a staff member after June 8, 1973, shall be sold to the Society at a price higher than the original cost to the staff member owner. In the case of a gift, the staff member donor shall be credited with its fair market value, but systematic acquisition of numismatic material for eventual gift to the Society in order to secure tax benefit is not permissible.
Full information on the date and circumstances of acquisition as well as original cost of any item offered to the Society by sale or gift shall be made available to the Chief Curator and to the curator directly concerned.
Outside Activities
Professional staff members may use the Society's time and premises for lecturing, teaching, and research assignments from outside if the Executive Director, on the recommendation of the Departmental Supervisor, deems such activity to be of direct or indirect benefit to the Society and to further its scholarly objectives. In all cases, Society work assignments must take precedence over any outside assignment and before any commitment is made, the Departmental Supervisor must be advised of the nature of the work and the approximate amount of time it will take.
Staff members must not use the Society's time for personal business or for outside assignments of a non-scholarly nature. ANS curators who undertake, in a private capacity and on their on time, to perform services which in any way relate to their curatorial status, such as the evaluation or cataloguing of material for sale by a dealer or collector, shall inform the Chief Curator in advance of the work they propose to do. If the material being evaluated or catalogued includes numismatic items not represented in the Society's collection, they are morally obligated to make every effort to obtain for the Society the opportunity to acquire such items at a fair market value.
Staff members are encouraged to participate in the activities of voluntary organizations. Staff members may not, however, work or solicit for such organizations on Society time, nor may they use Society materials, equipment, facilities, name, or reputation for the benefit of such organizations, except with prior written approval from the Executive Director.
Assessing Numismatic Items; Referrals
It is the policy of the Society not to authenticate, evaluate, or grade numismatic items. Curators may assist collectors and others in the identification of numismatic items and may express oral opinions concerning the aesthetic quality and condition of numismatic items, particularly with reference to comparable items in the Society's collection. Curators may also refer inquirers to standard priced catalogues or recent sale literature.
Subject to review by the Executive Director, the Chief Curator and the Librarian are responsible, in their respective departments, for the proper accessioning of objects and materials added to the collections, including a fair estimate of the value of such additions. Where appropriate, this fair estimate of value may derive from qualified appraisals provided the ANS by donors.
Curators asked for referrals must take care not to favor, or seem to favor, particular dealers. It is the policy of the Society to refer inquirers to members of the Professional Numismatists Guild or the International Association of Professional Numismatists, trade associations whose members subscribe to a code of ethics including prescribed means for arbitrating disputes.
Confidentiality
Councillors, staff members, and volunteers may acquire information about plans, programs, or activities of the Society that have not been made known to the general public. This information should be treated as confidential to the Society and should not be used for personal advantage or disclosed to third parties for any reason.
Intellectual Property
The Society promotes research as part of its mission. This research consists of commissioned research and original research; commissioned research is that assigned by the Society itself or by outsiders, while original research is the fruit of individual initiative. In all such work, staff members should acknowledge assistance provided by other colleagues, volunteers, and students whose work provided original ideas or identified primary sources used in the research.
Ownership of copyright rests initially with the Society for all material prepared as part of the duties of the staff member or as contracted with the Society, unless specific alternative arrangements are consented to by the Council, or its delegate, prior to publication. Ownership of copyright for works done on the staff member's own time remains his or her possession, but such work must satisfy the guidelines for outside activities.
The Society will assert its ownership of copyright to the work product of research commissioned by itself, including all work done in connection with exhibitions and public programs sponsored by the Society, all work published by the Society, and all other work done on assignment. The Society will not assert ownership of copyright in a work product resulting from original research by staff members. However, the Society will protect its underlying ownership of copyright in any work product that produces revenues to which the Society may be entitled. Staff members shall consult with the Executive Director prior to entering into any agreement or contract that assigns copyright of a work product to a third party and/or arranges for any form of payment to the staff member by a third party.
Materials that result from work done by staff members while in the employ of the Society may be the property of the ANS. Such materials, including research notes, correspondence, reports, electronic files, and photographs, may be of permanent significance to the Society and need to be preserved for future use. When staff members leave the Society, they should cooperate with their Departmental Supervisor and colleagues to determine which materials should be retained by the Society.
ANS Council
The ANS Council is responsible for governing the Society and all its activities in furtherance of the mission of the Society. It has administrative charge of the Society's building and property, sees to the proper performance of the duties of the officers and staff members, and supervises ANS publications. The Council directs the investment of all funds, authorizes the disbursement of money in the treasury, provides for regular audits of the accounts of the Treasurer, and undertakes other appropriate fiduciary responsibilities. It regulates exhibitions and the admission of the public to the Society's building, engages such staff members as it deems necessary, from time to time, and authorizes and approves purchases and exchanges for the cabinets, library, and other collections. The Council considers and recommends plans for promoting the objects of the Society, and performs such other functions as it deems appropriate.
Council members have two primary legal duties: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires the Councillor to act with such care as an ordinary prudent person would employ in that position. The duty of loyalty means that a Councillor must act in good faith and in a manner that he or she reasonably believes is in the best interest of the Society.
Councillors govern as a whole and through designated committees. Individual Councillors cannot act to bind the Society without Council approval.
No Councillor shall, directly or indirectly, receive any pecuniary compensation for services to the Society, unless approved by the Council.
The Council delegates authority for the conduct of the business of the Society, in accordance with its directives, to the Executive Director of the Society and to the Chief Curator and Librarian in their respective areas of responsibility, as appropriate. Individual Councillors should not act in contravention of that professional trust.
Acquisition and Disposal of Material
The ANS supports the spirit and intent of the UNESCO convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illegal Import, Export, and Transfer of Cultural Property of November 14, 1970, and will take such steps as may be appropriate to implement the convention. The Society will not purchase or exhibit numismatic objects which are known to have been excavated or exported in contravention of the laws of the country where found.
In general, it is the intention of the Society that items acquired by it be given a permanent place in the Society's collection. If, however, the Society possesses several specimens of a particular item, the less desirable duplicate may be considered expendable. Duplicate coins, medals, paper money, books and materials of numismatic interest, and material not related to the objects of the Society, if not specifically restricted by the wording of a gift, may be sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of at the discretion of the Council. The Council may delegate authority to the Chief Curator, and the Librarian, in their respective fields, to sell or exchange such duplicates having a value not in excess of $1,000 each. The Council may delegate authority to the President to approve the sale or exchange of such duplicates having a value in excess of $1,000 each.
Unless otherwise directed by the Council, all receipts from the sale of publications shall be credited to the General and Newell Publications Fund; receipts from the sale of duplicate books shall be credited to the Bass Library Fund; and receipts from the sale of duplicate coins shall be credited to the General and Newell Coin Fund.