“The first Board of State Vice-Presidents was as follows: Maine, Mr. James Cunningham of Portland; New Hampshire, Mr. T. P. Sullivan of Concord; Vermont, Mr. Thomas W. Moloney of Rutland; Massachusetts, Mr. Osborne Howes of Boston; Rhode Island, Mr. M. Joseph Harson of Providence; Connecticut, Mr. Joseph F. Swords of Hartford; New York, General James R. O’Beirne of New York City; New Jersey, Hon. William McAdoo, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, of Jersey City; Pennsylvania, General St. Clair A. Mulholland of Philadelphia; South Carolina, Ex-United States Senator M. C. Butler of Edgefield; Georgia, Ex-United States Senator Patrick Walsh of Atlanta; Ohio, Rev. George W. Pepper of Cleveland; Illinois, W. J. Onahan of Chicago; Michigan, Ex-Congressman Thomas A. E. Weadock of Detroit; Minnesota, Mr. Daniel W. Lawler of St. Paul; Missouri, Mr. Richard E. Kerens of St. Louis; District of Columbia, Mr. J. D. O’Connell of Washington. “The work that the Society has undertaken is worthy of the sympathy and aid of every American who is interested in the past, present and future of this, the greatest country on earth; and in doing its work the watchwords of the Society are Fidelity, Truth and Honor, and we feel and know what the influence and inspiration of these words mean. “One of the preambles in the Constitution reads: ‘While we as loyal citizens of this Republic are earnestly interested in all the various phases of its history, we feel that we should be false to its honor and greatness and recreant to our own blood if we did not make a serious effort to leave to those generations which will follow us, a clearer and better knowledge of the important work done by men and women of the Irish race in the United States.’ “The broad scope of our work may be comprehended from a statement of our objects and purposes: “(1) The study of American history generally. “(2) To investigate, especially, the immigration of the people of Ireland to this country, determine its numbers, examine the sources, learn the places of settlement; and estimate the influence on contemporary events in war, legislation, religion, education and other departments of human activity. “(3) To examine records of every character, wherever found, calculated to throw light on the work of the Irish element in this broad land. “(4) To endeavor to correct erroneous, distorted and false views of history, where they are known, and to substitute therefor the truth of history, based on documentary evidence, and the best and most reasonable tradition, in relation to the Irish race in America. “(5) To encourage and assist the formation of local societies in American cities and towns for the work of the parent Society.