Yale University gives OAH $10,000 toward Meeting
Move Costs

Yale University, with the help of immediate OAH Past President David Montgomery, contributed $10,000 to OAH to help defray the expenses of moving the 2000 OAH Annual Meeting from the Adam's Mark Hotel to Saint Louis University. Montgomery, professor emeritus at Yale, received support from the university throughout his tenure as OAH President. At Montgomery's request, Richard C. Levin, President of Yale University, agreed to assist the organization, which has already incurred expenses in excess of $94,000. In a letter to Montgomery, Levin wrote, "Because of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the need to relocate the conference, I believe your request is most valid, and I would be pleased to have you donate these funds in Yale's name." OAH has received $20,000 in donations and life memberships from individuals on the OAH Executive Board, and $42,000 from members and other contributors. OAH also raised $8,000 at the Presidential Address at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis.

On 13 February 2000, the OAH Executive Board decided to move the annual meeting to a new location after the U.S. Justice Department and other groups sued the Adam's Mark hotel and its parent company HBE for practicing racial discrimination against hotel guests. One week before the OAH annual meeting, the hotel chain settled out of court with the litigants to the amount of $8,000,000, but admitted no wrongdoing.