the retrospect of the year. 3 



Report of the Secretary, May 18, 1896. 



In looking at the recortl of the past year we must all 

 feel the great loss the Society sustained in the death of its 

 honored President, the Rev. Edmund B. Willson. It 

 will be remembered that at our last annual meeting Mr. 

 Willson presided and, to all appearance, was in his usual 

 health, having come from Petersham that very day, in 

 order to be with us in the evening. He made, as you 

 know, upon that occasion, a brief but excellent address 

 in accepting the Presidency tor another year. We little 

 thought then that we were so soon to lose him. Within 

 a fortnight from that time he was stricken down in his 

 pulpit in the North Church, having just finished deliver- 

 ing his thirty-sixth anniversary discourse, and in the 

 course of a few days passed away. 



After the able and appreciative address of Vice-Presi- 

 dent Rantoul in Academy Hall, I do not feel that it is 

 desirable for me to add another word ; but perhaps I may 

 he permitted to say that my personal relations with Mr. 

 Willson extended over the whole time he lived among us, 

 for I was a member of the North Society when he first 

 came to Salem, and in fact proposed his name to the 

 Committee of the Society, as the man for pastor, which 

 circumstance led to his settlement over the North Church. 



The name of another valued member of the Institute 

 comes to my mind, Mr. George 1). Phippen, who died 

 on the 2Gth of last December. He was one of the original 

 members of this Society and served in various ofhces from 

 time to time. He was the faithful Treasurer for man}' 

 years, and afterwards Auditor. He was always greath' 

 interested in the success of the Society. He wrote many 

 interesting historical articles in the early volumes of our 

 Collections. He was not only a well-read historical and 



