endment having been given at the previous biennial
meeting or the proposed amendment having received the approval of
the Executive Council.

Then the Director followed by the Secretary-Treasurer, with a
financial statement, made this report:

The Association was organized in Chicago, September 9, 1915, by
five persons who felt that something effective should be done to
direct attention to the long-neglected work of saving the records
of the Negro race. At first, it was thought best to call a
national meeting to form an organization. This plan was
abandoned, however, for the reason that it was not believed that
a large number of persons would pay any attention to the movement
until an actual demonstration as to the possibilities of the
field had been made. The Director, therefore, had these few
persons join him in organizing, so to speak, in a corner and
proceeded at once to bring out the JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY. How
it was received by the public is now a matter of history.

The growth of the JOURNAL has been more than was expected. The
first edition was 1,500, the second 1,300, the third 1,000, the
fourth 2,000. At the end of 1916 the demand for back numbers so
increased that it soon became evident that the editions were not
large enough and that the back numbers would have to be
reprinted. One thousand copies of volume I, and some extra
numbers of it were accordingly reprinted and the current edition
was increased to 4,000. The total circulation of the JOURNAL is
2,830. The subscription list shows 1,430 subscribers, about 400
copies are sold at newstands, 1,000 copies are used for
promotion, and about 1,000 copies are kept on hand for future
subscribers.

These achievements, however, have been due to sacrifice both of
time and means. The Director has had to work under tremendous
difficulties, but he has never lost faith in his coworkers and
believes in the ultimate triumph of the cause. The problem has
been threefold, that of research, that of editing and that of
promotion.

As the Association has not had adequate funds to provide the
Director with an office force or sufficient stenographic
assistance, he has too often found himself in the position of
having to do all things at one time. But in spite of these
handicaps there was