The following have served as Presidents of the Society since its organization: Allen G. Thurman, Francis C. Sessions, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Roeliff Brink

erhoff.

Mr. A. A. Graham occupied the office of secretary from the organization of the society, March 13, 1885, until December, 1893, when ill health compelled him to remove West. He died in Albuquerque, N. M., in February, 1896.

Mr. E. O. Randall was elected assistant secretary in December, 1893, to act as secretary in the absence of Mr. Graham. At the annual meeting of the trustees February 20, 1894, Mr. Randall was elected associate secretary, and February 19, 1895, was elected secretary, which office he has since held.

WORK OF THE SOCIETY.

The society has an Archæological Museum in Orton Hall, Ohio State University, in which there is a collection of 50,000 specimens of the relics and antiquities of the Mound Builders and later Indians. It has a valuable library numbering hundreds of volumes pertaining mainly to the history of Ohio. The Society publishes each year an annual volume of material concerning the history, archæology and biography of the state. It has published eleven such volumes, averaging 400 pages to the volume, also an Archæological History of Ohio. The Society is the custodian of Ft. Ancient, Warren county, and Serpent Mound in Adams county. Each summer it sends out a corps of explorers for the purpose of examining the prehistoric mounds and making permanent record of the discoveries. made therein.

J

OHN M. SHEETS was born near Columbus Grove, Putnam county, Ohio, May 26, 1854. His father was a Pennsylvanian, of German ancestry; his mother a New England Yankee. He was educated in the public schools, and at the age of twenty began teaching. Afterwards he attended the Union school at Columbus Grove, and in the fall of 1876 entered the freshman class in Baldwin University, at Berea, Ohio. He completed a four years' course in three, besides taking a number of elective studies. Mathematics being his special forte, he took every branch taught in the University, save one.

In the fall of 1879 he entered the law department of the University of Michigan, and graduated in March, 1881. On April 5 following he was admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of Ohio, and opened an office in Ottawa, where he now resides, and where he soon acquired and now enjoys, an extensive practice.

In 1893, as the candidate of the Republican party, he was elected judge of the Common Pleas Court in the sub-judicial district composed of the counties of Fulton, Henry, and Putnam, being the first Republican ever elected in that subdivision. On account of the fact that the district was so overwhelmingly Democratic, no Republican would accept the nom

The Attorney-General.

ination previous to this time, but Mr. Sheets, with his characteristic courage, accepted the nomination, and as an evidence of his popularity among the people of the counties composing the subdivision, he was elected by over 1700 majority; he was renominated in 1898, and although the Democratic majority on the general ticket was 2086, Judge Sheets came within thirty votes of being again elected.

On assuming the office of judge, he found the court very greatly overcrowded with business, so much so, indeed, that several unsuccessful attempts had been made to secure legislation authorizing an additional judge in said subdivision; but Judge Sheets developed an unusual capacity for the despatch of business, and in a short time, the docket was cleared. His business methods were very popular, and his services on the bench were in demand. He has received very many high compliments, from both the bench and the bar, as well as from the press of his district, on his ability as a judge, and on his conspicuous business methods.

While a student at the University of Michigan, he became acquainted with Miss Mary E. Scott, also a student at the same University, to whom he was married March 22, 1882, and has a family of five daughters.

John M. Sheets, as boy and man, always enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his associates, and this was never more striking than in his student days at Ann Arbor; and as an instance, his acquaintanceship with Hon. H. M. Daugherty is conspicuous. They first met as students at the University, and their relations developed a close personal friendship which has ever since continued. They were students in the same class, and graduated at the same time, and it was a pleasant surprise to both when they met in the same class for examination for admission to the bar, where they were both admitted to the practice of the law.

At the Republican State Convention at Columbus, held June 1 and 2, 1899, after a spirited contest, he was, on the third ballot, nominated the candidate for attorney-general; his nomination before the call of the roll of the counties was completed, being made unanimous by acclamation. In 1901 he was re-elected. Judge Sheets has always been an active, aggressive Republican, never hiding his light under a bushel, but withal, a liberal and fair opponent.

THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL.

The duties of Attorney-General are to appear for the State in all litigation in which the State is a party, or is interested, and is required, upon request, to give legal advice to the state officers, and trustees and superintendents of the state institutions; and also is required to give legal advice to prosecuting attorneys, upon their request, respecting the duties of their office, in matters in which the State is or may be a party.

ROSTER OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT, 1901.

W

ALTER D. GUILBERT was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, of French-Irish ancestors, and was reared on a farm. His great-grandfather on the maternal side settled in Maryland about 1750 and played an active part in the Revolutionary War. He was wounded several times, and at the battle of Brandywine only escaped capture by the thoughtfulness of his comrades, who carried the wounded. man to a swamp and securely hid him until the British had withdrawn. The father of Mr. Guilbert came to this country from France when a youth and settled in Guernsey county.

The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools and at Wenona Academy, Illinois. He was twice elected Auditor of Noble county, Ohio, and proved himself a most capable official. In 1888 he became chief clerk in the Auditor of State's office, continuing in that position until 1896, when he succeeded to the important office of Auditor of State, having been nominated by the Republican party and elected in the fall of 1895. In his career as a public officer, Mr. Guilbert is a genial, patient and painstaking official, combining with these virtues an earnest intention to perform his duties in such a manner as to insure the best results for the people of Ohio. It is no flattery to say that his manner of transacting the business of his department has made him one of the most popular men who ever occupied a position in the state capital. He was renominated unanimously in 1899 and elected by an increased plurality