History

HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY FOR MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE PHILOSOPHY
compiled originally by Professor Mary T. Clark (Manhattanville College); revised by R. James Long (Fairfield University)

The organizational meeting of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy took place in Washington, D.C. on December 28, 1977. The meeting followed an Agenda prepared by Professors Arthur Hyman and James J. Walsh. The meeting was attended by thirty-three persons.

The chairman, Arthur Hyman, announced that the purpose for founding such a society was to foster research, to organize scholarly sessions and conferences, to undertake publications, and to cooperate with other learned societies in common projects. It was the consensus of those attending this meeting that medieval philosophy was rarely represented at the sessions held by the American Philosophical Association and the presentations which did occur were often unscholarly and even biased. The tendency at the time by those philosophers who did present scholarly papers was to approach the medieval thinkers with the techniques of linguistic analysis while neglecting their philosophical insights in metaphysics, philosophical analysis and ethics. After general agreement that there was a need for scholars in the medieval and renaissance periods to organize sessions manifesting the serious and creative philosophical thinking which occurred in those periods, the chairman called for the nomination and election of officers and Executive Committee members.

Those elected to the Executive Committee were: Professors Marilyn Adams (UCLA), Mary Clark (Manhattanville), Arthur Hyman (Colombia and Yeshiva), Norman Kretzmann (Cornell), Edward Mahoney (Duke), Armand Maurer (Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto), Calvin Normore (Princeton), Eileen Serene (Yale), John Wippel (Catholic University). Professor James J. Walsh joined the Executive Committee in early 1979 as Adviser to the President.

The Officers elected were: Arthur Hyman (President), Marilyn Adams (Vice President), Mary Clark (Secretary-Treasurer). The first Committee Chairs named were: Membership Committee: Norman Kretzmann (this was changed in February to Edward Mahoney); Program Committee: John Wippel; Publication Committee: Norman Kretzmann and Calvin Normore; Finance Committee: Edward Mahoney. When Professor Walsh joined the Committee he was named Co-Chair of the Publications Committee and charged with setting up proceedings for the Monograph Series.

Forms for the incorporation of the Society were drawn up by Richard M. Hartzmann, Attorney, who donated his services. The society was incorporated on June 25, 1979 as a not-for-profit charitable organization. Application for recognition of Exemption under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code was filed October 9, 1979 by Attorney Hartzmann. In 1985 the Society was recognized by the I.R.S. as a publicly supported organization described in section 509 (a) (2). This kind of corporation files a completed Form 990 with the IRS if its gross receipts amount to more than $25,000.00. It must file New York State Form 497 if it solicits contributions from the public in New York State and its gross receipts exceed $25,000.00 in any given year. The Society’s IRS Employer Identification number is 13-3000 478 which must be used in all tax-related correspondence. Exemption from filing periodic reports to the New York State Department of Law was granted February 11, 1985 (re File # 02-57-75) and remains in effect until the Society’s assets exceed $25,000.00 at market value.

MEMBERSHIP
It was decided that regular membership in the Society would be open to scholars and teachers in medieval and renaissance philosophy and related fields; at the suggestion of Professor Mahoney, contributing membership was suggested for those scholars who wished to give greater financial support in order to build a reserve for Monograph expenses. Associate membership would be open to those with non-academic degrees who demonstrate interest in the work of the Society and there would be student membership for University students in the fields of medieval and renaissance philosophy. The first members of the Society apart from the founding members became so by invitation. One hundred and fifty colleagues were invited to join the Society. Beginning August 27, 1979 membership was attainable by application. The application Form was drawn up by Professors James Walsh, Edward Mahoney, and Arthur Hyman. Each member of the Executive Committee submitted names of colleagues to whom applications were sent.

Membership fees were established as follows: Contributing members: $10.00; Regular members: $5.00; Student members: $3.00. This schedule of fees was suggested by Professor Edward Mahoney.

CONSTITUTION
The Constitution was drafted in January 1979 at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York by Arthur Hyman and Mary T. Clark after consultation with James Walsh. It was circulated to the Executive Committee for comments on February 23, 1979. The Annual Executive Committee meeting was planned to take place at the December Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association; the Annual Business Meeting would precede the first Society Session of the December meeting. The quorum for voting at the Business Meeting was established at 10% of the membership; the Quorum for the Executive Committee was set at a simple majority of five members. [Note: the Constitution was revised in 2001 and is to be found on this site.]

MONOGRAPH SERIES
In March 1984 John F. Wippel, then President of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, and Frederick R. McManus, Academic Vice-President of The Catholic University of America signed an agreement making the Catholic University of America Press to serve as publisher of the Monograph Series.

This Series will be called The Monograph Series of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy. Except in unusual circumstances, each volume will consist of approximately 200 to 225 printed pages.

The Society undertakes to provide a subsidy for each volume to the extent as its funding allows. The Press will be responsible for all matters relating to preparation, manufacturing, pricing, marketing, storage, and distribution.
Unless the terms of a grant provide for recovery of the award from the proceeds of the sales, the Press will apply subsidies received for each volume to reduce its list price. The Press will be responsible for entering into contractual arrangements with the author. In this regard the author will be required to obtain all permissions needed. In view of the Society’s interest in replenishing its Publication Support Funds, the Press will require each author to assign all royalties directly to the Society and to permit copies of all royalty reports to be given directly to the Society.

This agreement between the Society and the Catholic University of America Press will remain in effect at least until three volumes have been published. Thereafter, it will remain indefinitely, to be terminated at least six months before the intended date of termination.

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY
Presidents
Arthur Hyman (1977-1980)
Marilyn Adams (1981-1982)
John Wippel (1983-1984)
James Ross (1985-1986)
Edward Mahoney (1987-1988)
Stephen Brown (1989-1990)
Jorge Gracia (1991-1992)
Mary T. Clark (1993-1994)
Alfred Ivry (1995-1996)
Paul V. Spade (1997-1998)
A. Stephen McGrade (1999-2000)
Therese-Anne Druart (2001-2002)
Steven P. Marrone (2003-2004)
R. James Long (2005-2006)
Gordon Wilson (2007-2008)
Helen Lang (2009-2010)
Timothy Noone (2011-2012)
Richard Taylor (2013-2014)
Eileen Sweeney (2015-2016)
Bonnie Kent (2017)
Tamar Rudavsky (2018-2019)
Therese Cory (2020-Current)

Secretary-Treasurers
Mary T. Clark (1977-1990)
R. James Long (1991-2003)
Mary Beth Ingham (2003-2005)
Jeremiah Hackett (2005-2006)
Jon McGinnis (2006-2016)
Jason Aleksander (2017-2020)
John Inglis (2020-2021)
Stephen Lahey (2021-Current)

Program Committee Chair
John Wippel (1979-82)
Norman Kretzmann (1983-1984)
Stephen Brown (1985-1988)
Jorge Gracia (1989-1991)
A. S. McGrade (1992-1993)
Edward Mahoney (1994-2000)
Idit Dobbs-Weinstein (2001-2005)
Therese-Anne Druart (2006-2008)
Donald Duclow (2009)
Julie Klein (2010-2014)
Luis Xavier López Farjeat (2015-)

Editors of Newsletters
Calvin Normore (1979-80)
Paul V. Spade (1981-85)
Jorge Gracia (1986-89)
Mark Jordan (1989-91)
Stephen Brown (1991-96)
Gordon Wilson (1996-2001)
Jack Zupko (2001-2006)
Charles Bolyard (2006-2011)
Daniel P. O’Connell (2011-2015)

PROGRAMS
The Society established the custom of sponsoring sessions concurrent with meetings of the American Philosophical Association, Eastern and Central Divisions. It was also decided to sponsor a session every two years at Kalamazoo, and every two years at Villanova Medieval Conference, each in a different year. Later, sessions were added during meetings of the American Historical Association and the American Catholic Philosophical Association. The first two sessions took place during the APA Eastern Division Meeting at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in New York City, December 27-30, 1979.

The Executive Committee decided that Invited Papers would be presented at the Eastern Division meetings; it was later decided to have “contributed papers” given at the Central Division Meetings and at the Villanova conference. This was re-affirmed at the Executive Committee Meeting of December 28, 1988. A notice was to be sent every January to the full membership inviting the submission of papers to be selected blindly by the members of the Program Committee. The papers for the Villanova Conference were to be submitted by March 1st each year; the papers for the APA Central Division Meeting were to be submitted by October 1st of the year prior to the Spring Meeting.

In 1991 the Program Committee recommended that announcements of Programs in the Newsletter be followed by an invitation to members to submit suggestions for future programs to the Committee. members: $3.00. This schedule of fees was suggested by Professor Edward Mahoney.

Constitution

The Constitution was drafted in January 1979 at Manhattanville College by Arthur Hyman and Mary T. Clark after consultation with James Walsh. It was circulated to the Executive Committee for comments on February 23, 1979. The Annual Executive Committee meeting was planned to take place at the December Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association; the Annual Business Meeting would precede the first Society Session of the December meeting. The quorum for voting at the Business Meeting was established at 10% of the membership; the Quorum for the Executive Committee was set at a simple majority of five members.

Programs

The Society established the custom of sponsoring sessions concurrent with meetings of the American Philosophical Association, Eastern and Central Divisions. It was also decided to sponsor a session every two years at Kalamazoo, and every two years at the Patristic-MedievalRenaissance Conference at Villanova, each in a different year. Later, sessions were added during meetings of the American Historical Association and the American Catholic Philosophical Association. The first two sessions took place during the APA Eastern Division Meeting at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in New York City, December 27-30, 1979.

The Executive Committee decided that Invited Papers would be presented at the Eastern Division meetings; it was later decided to have “contributed papers” given at the Central Division Meetings and at the Villanova conference. This was reaffirmed at the Executive Committee Meeting of December 28, 1988. A notice was to be sent every January to the full membership inviting the submission of papers to be selected blindly by the members of the Program Committee. The papers for the Villanova Conference were to be submitted by March I st each year; the papers for the APA Central Division Meeting were to be submitted by October I st of the year prior to the Spring Meeting.In 1991 the Program Committee recommended that announcements of Programs in the Newsletter be followed by an invitation to members to submit suggestions for future programs to the Committee.