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  • Proceedings of the Milton Society of America

The King Edward Hotel, Toronto December 28, 1997

Secretary: A. C. Labriola

Duquesne University

The officers and Executive Committee met in a preliminary session at 4:00 PM in the Kensington Room of the King Edward Hotel, 37 King Street East, Toronto. Present were Dayton Haskin (President), Albert C. Labriola (Secretary), Diana Trevino Benet (Treasurer), and the following members of the Executive Committee: John Rogers and Heather Dubrow. Excused were Regina Schwartz (Vice President), and the following members of the Executive Committee: Amy Boesky, Ann Baynes Coiro, Jackie Di Salvo, and Kristin Pruitt.

  1. 1. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The following members of the society were nominated for offices: Regina Schwartz for President, Jason P. Rosenblatt for Vice President, and Edward Jones and Gale Carrithers for three-year membership on the Executive Committee (1998–2000), replacing Coiro and Rogers.

  2. 2. TREASURER’S REPORT. Benet reported that the assets and net worth of the society, as of July 1, 1997, were $3,335.28. Benet expressed concern about the extraordinary number of life members and retirees who are not required to pay dues and about the low cost of annual membership ($10.00 for faculty, $5.00 for students). She cited other professional organizations whose dues are much higher. In her spring letter to all members, she will solicit donations, emphasizing the extraordinary expenses of the 1998 50th anniversary booklet, which will be a commemorative keepsake. Labriola will also solicit donations in his autumn letter, and a close watch will be kept on finances and budget with the prospect of a future increase in dues. [End Page 71]

  3. 3. COMMITTEE ON SCHOLARLY AWARDS. Benet indicated that William B. Hunter will continue as the administrator of the committee, and Joseph A. Wittreich as the chair. Balachandra Rajan and Mary Ann Radzinowicz have resigned as members of the committee, and Benet is recruiting replacements for them, having invited John T. Shawcross and Janel Mueller. If one or both of those invitees declines, then Benet has a list of other nominees.

  4. 4. SECRETARY’S REPORT. Labriola indicated that his announcements are printed on pages 3–4 of the annual booklet.

  5. 5. OPEN MEETINGS AT MLA ‘98 IN SAN FRANCISCO. The following open meetings, each 75 minutes long, were approved:

    1. A. John Milton: A General Session, with Regina Schwartz as chair.

    2. B. Milton’s God, 1948–1998 (emphasis on newer voices in Milton studies), with John Rogers as chair.

      Note the following rules for the two meetings listed above:

    3. C. The chair should have papers (8 pp., typewritten and double-spaced, for a reading time of 20 mins.) by March 15th. Usually three papers are chosen, and the chair may appoint a respondent; or two longer papers may be selected, with or without a respondent; or a panel discussion might be organized.

    4. D. The chair must submit the names of participants, academic affiliations, and titles of presentations to Labriola no later than April 1st. Labriola’s office FAX is 412-396-4792; his E-mail (Labriola@duq3.cc.duq.edu).

    5. E. Labriola will place an announcement in the Spring MLA Newsletter; Benet will include notice in her January letter to all members; and the chairs of the open meetings are urged to publicize in other ways.

    6. F. All presenters must be members of MLA. If not, they must join by April 1st unless their specialty is something other than language and literature, in which cases they must seek, through Labriola, special permission for their participation from the MLA Executive Director.

    7. G. MLA policy stipulates that a member may participate as a speaker and / or respondent in no more than two sessions. Chairs are responsible for conveying this information to their speakers / respondents.

  6. 6. 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN 1998. Labriola solicited suggestions for the 50th anniversary dinner and meeting of the society in 1998. Among the suggestions were the following: (1) a program different from the typical annual meeting, (2) involvement of past honored scholars, (3) a festive program with some entertainment.

Approximately 80 members and guests attended the dinner and meeting at which Haskin presided.

  1. 1. The principal address, “Uncertain Futures: Godwin’s Genealogy of Milton in ‘The Lives of...

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