HISTORY OF THE KANSAS STATE SOCIETY
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN COLONISTS
Written by Mrs. C. Chauncey Cox - State Historian
The Kansas Society, Daughters of the American Colonists, was organized by Mrs. R. W. Neale, organizing Regent, on October 26, 1925 in the Pelletier Tea Rooms at Topeka, Kansas.
Present to help organize the State Chapter was the National DAC President, Mrs. George Thacher Guernsey of Independence, Kansas. There were eleven Kansas Daughters present and three, as guests from Missouri.
Mrs. George Thacher Guernsey
Mrs. Guernsey presented a clear explanation of the State and Chapter DAC organizations, also giving the purpose of the National Society and what had been accomplished as well as its plans for the future. She explained that the first State organization became Chapter No. 1 with the same officers acting for both until another chapter was formed.
The following officers were appointed by Mrs. R. W. Neale, State Regent:
First Vice-Regent - Mrs. John A. Hale, K.C., Kansas
Second Vice-Regent - Mrs. Jonas E. Eckdall, Emporia, Kansas
Treasurer - Mrs. H. H. Galbraith
Recording Secretary - Miss Marion E. Seelye, Abilene, Kansas
Corresponding Secretary - Mrs. J. B. Carter, Wilson, Kansas
Registrar - Mrs. H. J. Sprinker
Historian - Mrs. J. M. Gleissner
At this first meeting, Mrs. Neale appointed Mrs. Hale, Chairman and Mrs. Joseph Taggart to act with herself as Committee on Bylaws.
While the State Chapter was not named at its organization meeting, it was christened SARAH de RAPALJE, shortly afterwards, for Mrs. Neale's ancestor who was born June 9, 1624 and who was the first white child born of French parents in New York, her parents being French Huguenots.
The second meeting of the Sarah de Rapalje Kansas State Chapter, Daughers of the American Colonists, convened at the Hotel Kansan, Topeka, Kansas, on March 29, 1926, with six members present and Mrs. Neale presiding. The State Society Bylaws were adopted at this meeting.
The third meeting of the Society was its first annual meeting in the Sunflower Room of the Hotel Kansas, Topeka, on November 1, 1926, again with six members present and Mrs. Neale, State Regent presiding. Action was taken at this meeting to change the time for the State Annual meeting from October to the third week in March, in the hope of securing a larger attendance at meetings by arranging that the time coincide with that of the State DAR Conference.
The 1927, second annual meeting of the Sarah de Rapalje Kansas Chapter met in Leavenworth, Kansas, in the Court Room of the Municipal Building, March 28, 1927, with Mrs. Neale presiding and twelve members and one guest present. The Bylaws Committee was delegated to revise that part of the Bylaws to read that the annual meeting be held on the morning of the first day of the DAR State Conference in the same place and that ten days notice of meeting be given. At Mrs, Guernsey's suggestion, the election of officers which was to have taken place at this meeting, was postponed until next year.
The 1928 and third annual meeting of the Sarah de Rapalje Kansas State Chapter met in Wichita, Kansas, March 26, 1928, at the Hotel Lassen, Mrs. Neale presiding and ten members being present. The report of the Registrar showed a gain of nine members. Mrs. Guernsey suggested at the meeting that the present officers should continue in office during the formative period of the Chapter.
Election resulted in all the present officers holding over, except the Historian, Mrs. J. M. Gleissner and the Treasurer, Mrs. H. H. Galbraith. To replace then, Miss Majorie Spaulding of Phillipsburg, Kansas was elected Historian, Miss Helen R. Seelye, Treasurer. At this meeting Miss Blanche Edwards of Abilene was delegated to have the Chapter Year Book printed in which the names of members with the ancestors were to be included. (Loose leaf book) It was voted to buy a State Flag for use at General Assembly and Mrs. Guernsey was appointed to attend to the matter.
The 1929 and fourth annual meeting of the Sarah de Rapalje State DAC Chapter was held at the Hotel Eldridge, Lawrence, Kansas, on March 26, 1929, with Mrs. Neale presiding and 14 members present. At this meeting the Treasurer reported total receipts $153.73, expenditures $53.29, leaving a blanace on hand of $100.44 and the Registrar showed a membership of 38. Mrs. Guernsey moved that notice be given to amend Article V, Chapter Bylaws to include the office of Librarian. It was voted that a circulating library be started and the sum of $10 was allowed to purchase books for the year, the books to be sent to members on request. Mrs. A. B. Seelye was appointed to select and purchase the books.
The Sarah de Rapalje State DAC Chapter convened for its fifth annual meeting in Salina, Kansas on March 25, 1930 in the Lamar Hotel at 10:30 a.m. with Mrs. Neale presiding and 17 members present. Mrs. Seelye for the Circulating Library Committee, reported a gift of $5 from members to add to the $10 voted at last meeting. At this time the Library, which would soon be ready for use, contained the following books:
LINEAGE BOOK, NSDAC, Vol II,
THE SMITH FAMILY TREE BOOK, By W Thomas Smith
MAYFLOWER DESCENDANTS AND THEIR MARRIAGES FOR TWO GENERATIONS
GENEALOGY MAGAZINE, January, April and October 1921.
RECORDS OF THE FIRST CHURCH OF DORCHESER, MASS.
YEARS SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN GENEALOGY
It was voted that two copies of each volume of the Lineage Books be purchased as published, one to be presented to a new Chapter when formed.
It was voted that notice be given at the next meeting to amend the Bylaws to conform to the National Bylaws in regard to a three year term for office. It was announced by Mrs. Neale that Mr. Connelly had given the State Chapter two rooms in the old SHAWNEE MISSION.
Mrs. Effie H VanTuyl of Leavenworth offered ten or twelve volumes of the Kansas Historical Collections for the Circulating Library which were gratefully accepted.
Officers elected on March 25, 1930, for the new term 1930-32:
State Regent - Mrs. J Frank Imes, Manhattan, Kansas
First Vice-Regent - Mrs. Fannie B McAdams, Independence, Kansas
Second Vice-Regent - Mrs. Effie VanTuyl, Leavenworth, Kansas
Registrar - Mrs. H H Sprinker, Newton, Kansas
Recording Secretary - Mrs. J E Eckdall, Emporia, Kansas
Treasurer - Miss Blanche Edwards, Abilene, Kansas
Corresponding Secretary - Mrs. I M Platt, Junction City, Kansas
Historian - Mrs. L W Bixler, Atchison, Kansas
Librarian - Mrs. A B Seelye, Abilene, Kansas
Mrs. Neale served as Regent, not only of her State but also for the Sarah de Rapalje Chapter (No. 1) for nearly ten years.
On February 3, 1931, Mrs. A B Seelye, Librarian, announced that the Kansas DAC Circulating Library was ready to function. There were 16 books in Box #1 and 14 books in Box No. #2. Then also, a list of books was kept on file of those books owned by DAC members who were willing to look up references in their books for other members.
The ANTHONY MORSE DAC Chapter of Emporia, Kansas was organized January 31, 1931, by Miss Caroline Morse, organizing Regent, the second State Chapter to be organized. The Chapter was named for the colonial ancestor of Miss Morse, ANTHONY MORSE, who settled in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1635, living in that town for more than fifty years. He was a weaver, a doctor and held offices as well as being a deacon in the church for forty years. Mrs. L L Hunter, National DAC, President was guest of honor and Mrs. George Guernsey, a charter member of the National Society and its first President, one of the twenty-six charter members, was present at the Chapter's organization service. Mrs. J Frank Imes, State Regent, was present also, to help install the new Chapter.
Succeeding Regents of the ANTHONY MORSE Chapter have been: Miss Carolina Morse, Miss Beulah Altamn, Mrs. Jonas Eckdall, Miss Lucina Jones, Miss Adelaide Morse, Mrs. Alfred Koch, Miss Catherine Neill, Miss Eva Wilson, Mrs. Alfred Koch, Miss Adelaide Morse, Mrs. Edward G Jones, Mrs. Inez P Hoffman, Mrs. Edwin G Jones, Miss Nora Daniel.
The Chapter holds four regular meetings each year in October, November, February and May.
Since a second DAC Chapter was organized, it became necessary to change the State Chapter into the Kansas State Society and this change became effective on March 25, 1931, when the sixth annual conference of the Kansas DAC Society met at the Hotel Broadview at Emporia, Kansas, with Mrs. J Frank Imes, State Regent presiding. The present officers were re-elected for another year and State dues were set for one dollar. Mrs. Neale was elected an Honorary State Regent. It was decided that the money in the Sarah de Rapalje State Treasury at the time should pass on to the Kansas State DAC Society and also that the former Chapter's Library should belong to the State Society.
On November 28, 1931, the State DAC Executive Board accepted Mrs. H J Sprinker's resignation as State Registrar and appointed Mrs. William Stepp of Manhattan, Kansas, in her place.
The 1932 and seventh annual conference of the Kansas DAC Society met at the Sunflower Hotel in Abilene, Kansas, at 10:30 a.m. on March 29, 1932, with Mrs. Imes, State Regent presiding.
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Organized Chapter
1) 1925 Sarah de Rapalje
2) 1931 Anthony Morse (Emporia)
3) 1936 Margaret Dunning
4) 1938 Jane Peebles Sexton
5) 1940 Major John Mason (disbanded 2004)
6) 1949 Elizabeth Knapp (disbanded 2004; reorganized 2015)
7) 1951 John Pound (Lawrence)
8) 1951 Henry Champion (disbanded 2017 / 2018)
9) 1954 William Hilton
10) 1960 John Price (Iola) (disbanded 1973)
11) 1965 Gov. John Webster (disbanded 1973)
12) 1966 The Arbella
13) 1979 Leavenworth
14) 1980 Dr. Thomas Lord (disbanded 2001)
15) 1992 Rose Whitlock Parker (disbanded 2013)
16) 2005 William Cotton
