Guards, Thanksgiving Day, November 24; final reception of the board of lady managers on what was known as “Francis Day,” in honor of the president of the exposition, when the board of lady managers kept informal “open house” and entertained all who called on this, the last day of the exposition, December 1.

The members of the board met their obligations with acceptable dignity, offering cordial hospitality to all the important bodies meeting within the exposition grounds.  Their building was the social center around which gathered the national and international representatives of governments and organizations, until more than 25,000 persons received specific invitation to their official entertainments.  And whether the hospitality was extended to His Eminence, the emissary of the Pope, or whether it was a reception to His Imperial Highness, the representative of the Mikado of Japan, or a dinner to the envoy of Empress An, of China, or to the governor of a State and his staff, or to the members of the National Commission, or the officials of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, all were welcomed with genuine cordiality, the board of lady managers never failing to remember their responsibility and that they were representing the nation and serving their country by thus doing their share in affording an opportunity for all nationalities to become acquainted with each other and with our social customs as demonstrated at the exposition.

Respectfully submitted.  M. MARGARETTA MANNING, Chairman.  FANNIE LOWERY PORTER, BELLE L. EVEREST, JOSEPHINE SULLIVAN, SALENA V. ERNEST, M.K.  DE YOUNG, KATHARINE PRATT HORTON, HELEN BOICE-HUNSICKER, AMELIA VON MAYHOFF, Members of Committee.

The ninth meeting of the board was called September 20, 1904.  This was a special meeting called for the purpose of reconfirming the departmental jurors as is set forth in the final report of the chairman of the committee on awards.

An exposition must of necessity prove educational.  The director of exhibits of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition said “The opportunity afforded for study and comparison of the various productions of human genius and activity classified and shown in detail, the finished product beside the methods and processes by which articles are produced, the vast systems of machinery in operation, and the skilled artisans occupied in difficult and intricate employments or native industries, representing accurately and in detail the latest development of the various arts and manufactures, makes it possible for not only the student to acquire knowledge, but each exhibitor may learn something from every other exhibitor in his class which may be to his advantage, and which may lead to the improvement of that which he produces, whether it be in the domain of art or manufacture, at home or abroad.  The measure of the value of an international exposition is determined by the number