Respectfully submitted.
C.B. BUCHWALTER.
M.M. ANDREWS.
F.M. HANGER.
Pursuant to adjournment, on March 5, 1904, a meeting of the board of lady managers was called by the president for April 28, 1904, to enable the members to be present at the opening exercises of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, which were to take place on April 30 of that year.
The board was in session until May 9, during which time many matters of importance were considered. Letters were read from organizations, reports received from chairmen of committees, and jurors appointed. On May 6 a resolution, presented by Mrs. Holcombe and amended by Miss Egan, was adopted, by which the president of the board was made active chairman of the executive, entertainment, and ceremonies committees, and full plans were made for the conduct of the affairs of the board during the coming months of the exposition period.
Twenty-one of the twenty-two members were present, and on the morning of April 30 the board met and proceeded in a body to the Administration Building, where they joined the president and directors of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, the members of the National Commission, and representatives from foreign countries, and, entering carriages, were driven to the Peace Monument, where seats were reserved for them. After the close of the interesting exercises officially opening the exposition, 5,000 invited guests adjourned to the Varied Industries Building, where luncheon was served. After a brilliant display of fireworks in the evening at the Stadium, the board of lady managers entertained a distinguished company at dinner, which closed the festivities of opening day.
The following is the final report of the committee on entertainment and ceremonies:
The board of lady managers took possession of their new building which had been completed and furnished and was ready for occupancy at the time they arrived in St. Louis for the meeting, April 28, which was the first to be held in their own house, and afforded them the earliest opportunity to see the structure and the result of the work that had been done in preparing and furnishing it for their use.
The first entertainment given by them was in honor of the president and members of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission, on the evening of April 30, the official opening day of the exposition. Invited to meet them was the representative of the President of the United States, Secretary Taft, the president of the Exposition Company and Mrs. Francis, the directors of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company and their wives, the governors of the States represented at the opening exercises and their wives, the Senators, and Members