Papers. 1948-50.
The idea of Corporate Membership was first broached by the Ways and Means Committee on 25 July 1945 when it was recommended that the Articles of Association should be amended to permit the institution of a category of corporate members. At their meeting on 4 Sep. it was reported that Council requested a more detailed scheme which was followed by the Committee deciding to take no immediate further steps on 27 Nov. Two years later on 13 Feb. 1948 the matter was reopened and H.N.C. Stevenson undertook to prepare a draft for ‘distribution among selected business and banking houses inviting them to take up corporate membership’ which was accepted in principle by Council on 2 Mar. The draft circular was reported as in preparation on 2 Nov. but a year later on 8 Nov. 1949 it was decided not to proceed with the draft. Instead a statement would be prepared by the Officers for Committee members and an informal investigation undertaken with the aim of collecting advice from business men. The following year D.H.F. Wilson (Hon. Treasurer), Webster Plass, and H.N.C. Stevenson made a verbal report which resulted in Council on 6 June 1950 authorising the Officers to take action to initiate the scheme. However on 22 May 1951 the Committee decided that Corporate Membership ‘should remain in abeyance until the urgent needs of the Institute for the carrying out of its essential functions were better met.’ There the matter rested though the Hon. Treasurer in a letter to H.N.C. Stevenson, 24 Oct. 1952, wrote that Corporate Membership had not been abandoned but shelved temporarily at Israel M. Sieff’s suggestion (57/ 1/25). See Ways and Means Committee Minutes, WMC/1/45, Item 3, 23 July 1945; WMC/2/45, Item 2, 4 Sep. 1945; WMC/3/45, 27 Nov. 1945; WM/77/3, Item 2c [sic] 13 Feb. 1948; WM/78/1, Item 3d, 2 Nov. 1948; WM/79/1, Item 2, 8 Nov. 1949; WM/79/2, Item 2, 16 Mar. 1950; WM/80/1, Item 1, 22 May 1951; Council Minutes, CM/77/6, Item 4b, 2 Mar. 1948; CM/79/7, Item 5b, 18 Apr. 1950; CM/79/9, Item 2b, 6 June 1950.
1/ 1948
1 RAI to Sir Wilfrid Grigson, CSI, 27 July – informs him of Council’s decision on Corporate Membership and its privileges; asks him to contribute a section on India to the proposed leaflet (tpc.)
2/ 1949
1 Circular prepared by W.B. Fagg (WBF), Hon. Secretary addressed to Committee members outlining the privileges and subscription, and requesting the names of firms to whom an approach should be made, 31 Jan. (mimeo.)
2 Ibid. with suggestions by H.H. Coghlan (autogr.)
3 Prof. M. Fortes to WBF, 4 Feb. – suggests firms to be approached; comments on JRAI, Vol. 76, No. 1 now in proof (autogr.)
4 Minutes of the Ways and Means Committee, 8 Nov. (mimeo.)
5 Note of a discussion between Webster Plass, H.N.C. Stevenson (HNCS) and WBF, later reported to Douglas H.F. Wilson (DHFW) (tpc.)
3/ 1950
1 ‘Where trade and anthropology meet…’, draft amended by WBF (tpc., and autogr.)
2 Notes on draft by ?H.H. Coghlan and another (autogr.)
3 ‘Where trade and anthropology meet…’ (mimeo.); see Council minutes, 18 Apr., CM/79/7, Item 5b
4 Ibid., annotated by WBF
5 Draft statement by ?DHFW for consideration by Council, 6 June (autogr.)
6 Ibid., by WBF (autogr.)
7 Notes by WBF, 21 Apr. (autogr.)
8 Circular on Corporate Membership considered by Council, 6 June (mimeo.)
9 Ibid., annotated by WBF (autogr.)
10 Letter to the President from (Prof. Sir) E.R. Leach (ERL) expressing dissenting views on the circular, 5 June (mimeo.); 2 copies, one signed by ERL
11 Covering letter from ERL, 5 June (tp.)
12 Revised draft circular by ERL (tp., annotation by WBF on verso, leaf 2)
13 Covering letter from ERL, 7 June (tp.)
W.B. Fagg Papers.
