[vc_row fullwidth=”true” attached=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496247803139{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/100CrusderSeaCastleSaide-Sidon-–-1920×600-–-REVISED-1.jpg” image_width=”1920″ image_height=”600″ crop=”false” hover=”false” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496682730308{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683820796{margin-right: 10px !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text]

 SHARE

[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-fb-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.facebook.com/ASOResearch/” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-tw-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://twitter.com/ASOResearch?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-in-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-schools-of-oriental-research” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-ml-icon_7.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”mailto:asor@bu.edu” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/blog-icon3.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”http://asorblog.org/” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683923840{margin-right: 20px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;border-left-color: #99422f !important;}”][mk_divider divider_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” thickness=”1″ margin_top=”3″ margin_bottom=”3″][vc_column_text]

ASOR BLOG

NEWS@ASOR E-NEWSLETTER

ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY E-NEWSLETTER

PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

FY17 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1487276122024{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text responsive_align=”left”]

ASOR MEMBERS HONORED AT AIA ANNUAL MEETING

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

To the 2013 ASOR Plenary Lecturer C. Brian Rose

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/brianrose.jpg” image_width=”720″ image_height=”478″ crop=”false” hover=”false”][vc_column_text]Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement, C. Brian Rose, University of Pennsylvania

For his work in the field at Troy, the Granicus River Valley Survey Project, and Gordion; his visionary and energetic efforts to provide cultural heritage training to the members of the US military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan; and his highly influential role as an educator, formerly at University of Cincinnati and now at University of Pennsylvania.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_divider thickness=”1″ margin_top=”10″][vc_column_text]

To the 2014 Winner of the ASOR W. F. Albright Award, Christopher A. Tuttle

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/christuttle.jpg” image_width=”720″ image_height=”478″ crop=”false” hover=”false”][vc_column_text]Best Practices in Site Preservation Award
Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management, Christopher Tuttle

For the initiatives developed to stabilize, conserve, and protect the monumental temple and its precinct; rehabilitate the surrounding landscape; develop and implement a comprehensive presentation strategy for the temple and its environs; publish the data derived from both the original excavation and the new project; develop guidelines and manuals for different aspects of cultural resource management work; and build local capacity for undertaking CRM efforts.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_divider thickness=”1″ margin_top=”10″][vc_column_text]

To the ASOR Chair of the Committee on Publications, Charles E. Jones

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/charlesjones.jpg” image_width=”206″ image_height=”188″ crop=”false” hover=”false”][vc_column_text]Outstanding Work in Digital Archaeology Award
The Ancient World Online, Charles E. Jones, Pennsylvania State University

For his work on open access material relating to the ancient world, serving archaeological information to more than 1.1 million unique visitors to the site since its inception in 2009.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row fullwidth=”true” attached=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496247803139{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/100CrusderSeaCastleSaide-Sidon-–-1920×600-–-REVISED-1.jpg” image_width=”1920″ image_height=”600″ crop=”false” hover=”false” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496682730308{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683820796{margin-right: 10px !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text]

 SHARE

[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-fb-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.facebook.com/ASOResearch/” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-tw-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://twitter.com/ASOResearch?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-in-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-schools-of-oriental-research” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-ml-icon_7.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”mailto:asor@bu.edu” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/blog-icon3.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”http://asorblog.org/” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683923840{margin-right: 20px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;border-left-color: #99422f !important;}”][mk_divider divider_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” thickness=”1″ margin_top=”3″ margin_bottom=”3″][vc_column_text]

ASOR BLOG

NEWS@ASOR E-NEWSLETTER

ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY E-NEWSLETTER

PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

FY17 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1487276122024{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text responsive_align=”left”]

TONY WILKINSON REMEMBRANCE

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Professor Tony Wilkinson, of the Archaeology Department at the University of Durham (UK) passed away on December 25, 2014. He was 66 years old.  Tony was widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in landscape archaeology, and as the theoretician, methodological innovator, and field archaeologist who revolutionized our understanding of the ancient landscapes of Mesopotamia and the broader Middle East.

Tony was born on August 14, 1948, and grew up in Essex. He trained as a geographer at the University of London- Birkbeck College, and received his Masters Degree at McMaster University (Ontario, Canada), studying the hydrology of overland water flow in the Canadian Arctic.  Tony then shifted his focus to archaeology, conducting innovative fieldwork projects of wet and dry landscape archaeology in the UK and across the Middle East in the varied terrains of Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. By combining the methodologies of geography, geomorphology, and archaeology in these projects, Tony was able to develop a nuanced and sophisticated approach to understanding the ways that the interplay of environment and human culture shaped the historical development of landscapes and civilizations in Greater Mesopotamia and surrounding regions. Tony distilled these insights into his book Archaeological Landscapes of the Near East (University of Arizona Press, 2003), a classic synthesis that was honored with the Society for American Archaeology Book Award in 2004, and the James R. Wiseman Book Award of the Archaeological institute of America in 2005.

Tony was the Assistant Director of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq from 1989 to 1992. From 1992 to 2003 he was Research Associate (Associate Professor) at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, where he founded the Center for Ancient Middle Eastern Landscapes (“CAMEL”) in the early 1990’s. At the CAMEL lab, Tony worked with his students to develop the protocols for using the newly declassified CORONA satellite images to map sites and relict ancient landscapes across Upper Mesopotamia. Returning to the UK in 2003, Tony was a Lecturer and then Professor at the University of Edinburgh. In 2006 he took a position as Professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Durham, where he taught and conducted research until his passing. At Chicago, Edinburgh and Durham, Tony trained several generations of students, many of whom have gone on to become major figures in their own right in landscape archaeology.

Many of Tony’s most important contributions to landscape archaeology derived from his long term research program exploring the complex inter-relationship of environmental instability, agricultural strategies, and the dynamics of urbanized state societies in the 3rd millennium BC Early Bronze Age of Upper Mesopotamia. These city-states developed in what Tony liked to call the “zone of uncertainty” in the marginal environment on the edge of the rain-fed agriculture region of “Upper Mesopotamia” – the area that encompasses southeast Turkey, North Syria, and the northern Iraqi Jezira. Tony reconstructed the ancient landscapes of Upper Mesopotamian complex societies through a unique synthesis of methodologies that combined the documentation of field scatters of sherds (derived from ancient manuring practices), the mapping of ancient roads and shepherds’ paths (“hollow ways”), intensive archaeological site (and off-site) survey, paleo-environmental reconstruction, satellite imagery, and agent-based computer simulation modeling. The synthetic approach that Tony developed has now become standard practice in Near Eastern landscape archaeology, and is one of his most important legacies. Tony’s intellectual contributions were recognized by his election as a Fellow of the British Academy in 2008, and by his being awarded the John Cole Medal for Landscape Archaeology by the British Academy in 2009.

As a researcher, Tony was especially admirable in always being open to new ideas, and for the way he never lapsed into dogmatism. He was that rare combination of being both a brilliant scholar and a truly nice person. Tony was also known to a fortunate few in his alter ego as a talented Blues harmonica player and onetime member of the Bamboo Beat Band.

Tony is survived by his wife and fellow archaeologist, Eleanor Barbanes Wilkinson.  His numerous friends, colleagues, and students will miss him greatly, and we extend our deepest condolences to Eleanor and their family.

-Gil J. Stein, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL
gstein@uchicago.edu

I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Eleanor Barbanes Wilkinson, Jason Ur, Mark Altaweel, Chris Gerrard, and McGuire Gibson in the preparation of this remembrance. I also Thank Eleanor Wilkinson for providing me with a copy of Charles French’s 2014 article “Wilkinson, Tony James” in Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, ed. C. Smith. Copyright Spronger Science and Business Media New York. Click here for an in-depth 2013 interview with Tony Wilkinson.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/wilkinson4.jpg” image_width=”1931″ image_height=”1370″ crop=”false” hover=”false”][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row fullwidth=”true” attached=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496247803139{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/100CrusderSeaCastleSaide-Sidon-–-1920×600-–-REVISED-1.jpg” image_width=”1920″ image_height=”600″ crop=”false” hover=”false” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496682730308{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683820796{margin-right: 10px !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text]

 SHARE

[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-fb-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.facebook.com/ASOResearch/” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-tw-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://twitter.com/ASOResearch?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-in-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-schools-of-oriental-research” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-ml-icon_7.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”mailto:asor@bu.edu” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/blog-icon3.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”http://asorblog.org/” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683923840{margin-right: 20px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;border-left-color: #99422f !important;}”][mk_divider divider_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” thickness=”1″ margin_top=”3″ margin_bottom=”3″][vc_column_text]

ASOR BLOG

NEWS@ASOR E-NEWSLETTER

ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY E-NEWSLETTER

PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

FY17 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1487276122024{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text responsive_align=”left”]

THE REV. DR. ROGER S. BORAAS

February 4, 1926-December 3, 2014

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Roger Boraas served on the First Amman Center Committee after the founding of the American Center in Amman, Jordan. Since 1968, Roger had supervised a number of ACOR related field projects. In 1982, he was called upon once again to help with excavation work at Khirbet Iskander.

Continue reading for a remembrance written by Roger’s daughter, Miriam.

Roger S. Boraas grew up on a small farm in Scandia, MN where he attended a one-room school where his mother was a teacher. After graduating from Forest Lake High School he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and earned his B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Augustana Theological Seminary in Rock Island, IL and was ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1952. He served Emanuel Lutheran Church, Pleasantville, NY and Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Cleveland Heights, OH. In 1958 he was called to Upsala College in East Orange, NJ, first as Chaplain and then as Professor of Religion until his retirement in 1991. An Old Testament scholar and archaeologist, he completed his doctoral studies at Drew University in Madison, NJ. His extensive scholarly work included serving as associate editor of the Harpers Bible Dictionary, the Word and Witness program of the former Lutheran Church in America, and 13 archeological expeditions in Jordan, in conjunction with the American Center for Oriental Research (ACOR) in Amman.

Roger married Aina Evodia Anderson on June 22, 1948, and he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed music, gardening, camping, model trains, reading.  Aina survives him, as do their children Miriam (Ralston) Deffenbaugh, Marcia Boraas (Eugene Lugano), and Roger Boraas, and grandchildren Natalie and Carl; Elisabeth and Daniel; and Marisa and Liana; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The funeral service was held on Dec. 23, 2014, 11 A.M. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1224 Melrose Avenue, Melrose Park, PA, reception following. A memorial service is planned for the spring of 2015. In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to ACOR (Roger S. Boraas Library Fund), 656 Beacon Street, 5th floor, Boston, MA 02215, or to Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) World Hunger, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row fullwidth=”true” attached=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496247803139{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/100CrusderSeaCastleSaide-Sidon-–-1920×600-–-REVISED-1.jpg” image_width=”1920″ image_height=”600″ crop=”false” hover=”false” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496682730308{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683820796{margin-right: 10px !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text]

 SHARE

[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-fb-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.facebook.com/ASOResearch/” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-tw-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://twitter.com/ASOResearch?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-in-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-schools-of-oriental-research” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-ml-icon_7.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”mailto:asor@bu.edu” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/blog-icon3.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”http://asorblog.org/” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683923840{margin-right: 20px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;border-left-color: #99422f !important;}”][mk_divider divider_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” thickness=”1″ margin_top=”3″ margin_bottom=”3″][vc_column_text]

ASOR BLOG

NEWS@ASOR E-NEWSLETTER

ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY E-NEWSLETTER

PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

FY17 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1487276122024{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text responsive_align=”left”]

FY 2015 MID-YEAR TREASURER’S REPORT

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Based on the fact that membership and subscriptions revenue and contributions were essentially flat in FY 2014, and ASOR’s stellar investment results drove the growth engine, I noted the importance of ASOR growing and sustaining a strong membership and contribution base for the inevitable lean years in which the financial markets do not perform as well as they did in FY 2014.

This observation prompted questions from the floor regarding the ASOR FY 2014 membership and contribution base.  The answers to these questions are summarized in the following table:

While the average donation across all contributing members was $970.40, it is important to note that the top 1% of contributing members gave approximately 40% of the dollar value of the FY 2014 donations, while the top 5% of contributing members gave approximately 75% of the dollar value of the FY 2014 donations.  This means that 95% of the contributing members gave approximately 25% of the FY 2014 donations—i.e., an average donation of $255 per contributing member in this category.  For a detailed breakdown of the raw contribution data, I direct you to the FY 2014 Honor Roll of Donors.

There are several takeaway points from this analysis.  First, the fact that 29% of ASOR members also are donors is outstanding.  We understand from anecdotal evidence gathered from other members of the American Council of Learned Societies that ASOR is near the top—if not at the top—of the list of learned societies with the highest percentage of their members who also are donors.  For that, the Board of Trustees is grateful; we thank you for your ongoing and continued generosity.  In addition to funding ASOR’s programs and operations, your contributions also play a vital role in attracting contributions and grants from non-member sources that look to the commitment to ASOR by its members in determining whether and how much to give.  Still and yet, this is no time to rest on our laurels.

Second, in order to expand the research into, reporting about, and the study of the cultures and history of the Near East in general, as well as the number of summer dig season excavation scholarships and grants and antiquities preservation programs, we need to take active steps to grow the membership base.  I am pleased to report there is a game plan in place to accomplish this goal.  That said, every ASOR member should serve double duty as recruiter; think of where we would be if every member introduced ASOR to one new person per year.  The outlook is bright.  There are a number of interesting and challenging opportunities on ASOR’s doorstep and on the horizon.  We need to press forward so ASOR will be in a position to seize the day when the opportunities present themselves.

Third, in order to see us through the inevitable rainy days, we need to increase both the number of member donors and the amount of their contributions.  As you can see from the mid-year FY 2015 investment income numbers below, there is a light drizzle in the forecast compared to last year.  So, those of you who are not contributors, I encourage you to thoughtfully consider crossing the line and joining the ranks of the contributors in FY 2015. Every gift matters. Every contribution counts regardless of the amount.  For those of you who are already contributors, again, thank you for stepping up to the plate.  I also encourage you to drop a few extra bucks in the plate as it passes this year.

***

We are now at the FY 2015 mid-point.  As a final takeaway, I am pleased to again report that ASOR continues to be on sound financial footing—as demonstrated, in part, by the investment income earned by the Fellowship Accounts and Endowment Accounts for the six month period ending December 31, 2014.  Let’s work together to keep it that way.

Respectfully submitted,

Richard L. Coffman, Treasurer
rcoffman@coffmanlawfirm.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]