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UPDATED LETTER ON ASOR’S RESPONSES TO COVID-19

April 7, 2020

Dear Fellow ASOR Members,

The ASOR family is a strong and close one, and that fact has never been more evident than in these challenging and stressful times. Due to the rapidly-changing situation with the COVID-19 crisis, we plan to update this letter at least bi-monthly.

Please know that we at ASOR are doing all that we can to continue serving our constituents, while keeping the safety and health of our members, volunteers, officers, and employees as our highest priority.

First, we want to share (and in some cases repeat) the things that we are doing to ensure that everyone is as safe as possible:

• Health and Safety of ASOR members and staff—As far as we know, no ASOR members or staff have experienced a COVID-19 illness. If you are aware of anyone who has experienced an illness and if ASOR might provide assistance, please e-mail Andy Vaughn.
• The ASOR Office—The James F. Strange Center—in Old Town Alexandria, is operating on remote-only work schedule. The staff is staying in touch with frequent messaging and video conferencing. No layoffs have occurred, and we have applied for a SBA Paycheck Protection Program Loan that was made available through the CARES Act. We anticipate that much of this loan will be forgiven and become similar to a “grant.” Our dedicated staff has been, and continues to be, outstanding.
• Physical Mail Delivery—ASOR’s ability to receive and to process physical mail has been greatly reduced. Please consider making membership payments and gifts via our secure online store. Please e-mail info@asor.org if you have questions or need help. You may also send us a phone number by e-mail if you would like us to call you to make a credit card payment over the phone (please do not send credit card information by e-mail).
• The ASOR Board Meeting (rescheduled for mid-May) will be held as a virtual video meeting. ASOR continues to test our new Zoom subscription, and we are using this platform more and more to carry out essential business.
• Dig Scholarships, Excavation Grants, and Research Fellowships—We have postponed making decisions until at least April 15th. As of the date of this letter, it looks like dig scholarships will be postponed until 2021. We anticipate making a decision on excavation grants and research fellowships later in April or early May. We will segregate endowment distributions and gifts already received for awards in 2021, if necessary. 2020 had been our largest year ever for scholarships, grants, and fellowships, and we are so grateful to all of our supporters. If awards are not made in 2020, the segregated funds will enable a 50% increase in funding over 2019 levels for 2021.

Second, we want to share some of the things that we are doing to support you, our members, while many are practicing social distancing or self-quarantining:

• Membership Scholarships Available—If you have experienced a financial challenge because of the COVID-19 crisis (or if you know of an ASOR member who has a need), please ask about a membership scholarship. Some generous members of the ASOR family have pledged funds to pay for membership dues of anyone that has lost employment or substantial income because of this crisis. Please contact Felice Herman or Andy Vaughn for more information.
• Online Resources—The ASOR office staff (led by Marta Ostovich [programs@asor.org]) has launched webpages to share resources that will support students, professors, and teachers at all levels who are participating in online education with little advance notice. These pages are expanding daily, and we invite you to participate so that we can help each other by sharing ideas and expertise.
• Online access to ASOR journals—The full-text and enhanced online access to ASOR journals have never been more important. Members with online access to journals can not only view the full text of articles, but all illustrations and figures may be downloaded seamlessly into Powerpoint. Click here for a web-page that outlines all of these features. Please e-mail Felice Herman (membership@asor.org) if you have questions.
• Publications—Thanks to the excellent work of our editorial teams, the ASOR staff, and our partnerships with University of Chicago Press and with ISD, the production and distribution of ASOR journals and books continue without interruption. Everyone is working remotely as much as possible, and we do not anticipate any interruptions in fulfilling this vital member service.
• Annual Meeting—We continue to prepare for our largest and best Annual Meeting in Boston in November. The Program Committee and ASOR staff are working remotely to ensure that the program will be the strongest ever. We, of course, will keep the health of all participants as our highest priority.
• General Operations—The ASOR staff and our volunteers continue to respond to e-mails and phone calls. With our staff working remotely, answering phones and voicemail may be delayed. Please consider sending an e-mail if you are able.
• Shepard Urgent Action Grants—In the midst of so many things being postponed, we are thrilled to announce a new initiative that we hope can take place in spite of social distancing and self-quarantining efforts. Launched on April 2, 2020, these new grants are designed to address urgent needs for site mitigation and stabilization. Funding may be available in as little as 4-6 weeks following an application. Please check out the webpage and announcement.

Third, we need to share some challenges. We will continue to update you on these items. If you are aware of other issues that we should communicate in subsequent member correspondence, please let us know.

• The programs at our Overseas Research Centers in Amman, Jerusalem, and Nicosia are suffering from travel restrictions and cutbacks in fieldwork. Significant portions of their income derive from visits to and work on ASOR field projects and other research, for which they provide essential support and services. These projects for 2020 are being cancelled for the most part. We have been in touch with all the directors. They are coping effectively with the changing circumstances. The Albright in Jerusalem has been particularly hit hard.
• ASOR’s Endowment Accounts—Like many institutions, ASOR has invested our endowment accounts using an 80/20 allocation—80% in equities and 20% in bonds and cash. We have thus experienced a significant correction over the first quarter of 2020, and most of our endowments accounts are down 12.1% for the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Because we maintain a 20% allocation in bonds and cash, we will re-balance our portfolios this month (April 2020) per our investment guidelines. We also make quarterly distributions based on averages from the last 12 quarters, so we will continue to be conservative in distributing funds from endowments. In addition, the Finance Committee is considering a recommendation to forego distributions for the 1st quarter of 2020 in order to allow our accounts to recover some of their market losses.
• ASOR’s Annual Fund (unrestricted giving)—While ASOR remains in sound financial shape, while we have applied for a Paycheck Protection Program Loan, and while we have modest accumulated funds to see us through a challenging year, we need members to consider unrestricted contributions and gifts for member scholarships. To date in this fiscal year (ends June 30, 2020), we have received less than half of the $125,000 that we budgeted for unrestricted giving. Click here to make a gift online.

Finally, we want to conclude as we began—your health and well-being is our highest concern. We are grateful for your continued support of ASOR and of your fellow members. You are, and continue to be, amazing.

Best regards,

Sharon Herbert, ASOR President (president@asor.org)
Andy Vaughn, ASOR Executive Director (executive-director@asor.org)[/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]

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ASOR REMEMBERS P.E. MACALLISTER (1918–2019)

On October 23, 2019, ASOR said goodbye to our beloved leader, as he passed away quietly at home in Indianapolis due to complications from a fall. Click here for a tribute to his life that is found on the MacAllister Machinery website.

It is impossible to overestimate or exaggerate P.E.’s importance to ASOR. Yet, those who knew him best will remember him for his wit, his loyalty, and pragmatic counsel. He loved ASOR, and we loved him. We miss him, and yet, his memory will always be as a blessing for ASOR.

Words of Remembrance Written by Eric M. Meyers and Read at P.E.’s Memorial Service

As an academic and Biblical scholar for whom history is always a “teachable” moment, knowing P.E. all these years, from the 1980’s, has been a sheer pleasure and joy. Our mutual love of history and the Bible made us friends in the best and deepest sense. We often turned to the past to learn about ourselves and the present. And often the Bible spoke with a clarity and wisdom that reminded us of our common roots in the ancient Middle East. But we were united also in other voices of the past that we deeply respected and admired from the Classical World. Why do persons like P.E. and me and many others especially his friends in ASOR turn to history and archaeology for lessons? Because there are so many rich lessons to learn from.

In terms of the Old Testament? What did we learn from the two destructions of the Jerusalem Temple in 586 BC and 70 AD? That there was a creative spirit that would not take defeat on the ground to be the last word and the survivors edited and canonized the Bible as one way of dealing with the trauma, and developing private prayer as another way of dealing with it.

P.E. always saw that creative spirit at work in key moments of our past and would call them up to our attention to make a point about business, ethics, politics, or ASOR. History mattered and P.E. was a beacon for making history relevant. In times so overly focused on the present what with social media, cable news and the 24 hour news cycle, P.E. was always there to point out an historical precedent, and teach us something. In ASOR we often said our future lies in ruins, and for PE the mute stones of the past helped him and his archaeological fellows in ASOR [founded in 1900, and vibrant today as never before in large measure to P.E.’s largess and vision], understand that a present shorn of its past is not one to last. P.E.’s legacy continues to be an inspiration for all of us today who seek to better understand ourselves and our future in light of the past.

A Brief ASOR Biography of P. E. MacAllister (slightly updated from a 2014 tribute):

P.E. MacAllister became engaged in ASOR in 1968 and has been a member of the ASOR Board of Trustees since 1976. He has served as Chairman of the Board from 1994 to 2013. His transition from Board Chair to Board Chair Emeritus celebrates more than 40 years of MacAllister leadership in ASOR and parallels the 40 years that David served as king of United Monarchy is Israel (1010-970 BCE). The Bible remarks that the youthful David was a handsome man of ruddy complexion; and our beloved P.E. as a nonagenarian exudes a similar beauty and enthusiasm, to say nothing of great wisdom. He has helped ASOR survive periods of great challenge, including when ASOR was supporting the overseas institutes. And we won’t even mention the number of Middle East wars that occurred during his tenure. During these four decades and more, thanks to P.E., ASOR has maintained its position as the preeminent organization that places the history and culture of the ancient Near East before the public in publications and in its archeological field projects. The MacAllister Endowment for Archaeological Volunteers now ensures that his name will forever be associated with ASOR (see below for the tabula honorarium).

P.E.’s advice during both good times and tough ones was always filtered through the lens of history and studded with parallels from the business world or sports community. He might turn to ancient Greece or to the Bible or even to Napoleon to inspire ASOR Board members to rise to a challenge. And at times he would turn to Hoosier history or the Indianapolis Colts for lessons that might help ASOR explore more effectively the world of the ancient Near East, a world that produced the Bible and three of the great world religions. It was always through the voices of the past that P.E. allowed his own voice to be heard.

In honoring P.E. with the gala event [in 2014] and with this endowment, ASOR and its friends, here and abroad, reaffirm the belief that recovering the past through archaeology and the study of ancient literary sources can make a huge difference in our understanding of who we are today, and that, friends, can and will continue to make a difference to our community and culture.

Eric M. Meyers, ASOR Past President (written in 2014)

A Plaudit to P.E. MacAllister

On His Elevation to Status as ASOR Board Chairman Emeritus (in 2014)

A plaudit here to tonight’s honoree
A remarkable friend and colleague is he
Its Indy we know that he’s considered a saint in
More durable it seems than even Peyton
He puts lie to the lingo that Billie Joel sung
In hyping that “only the good die young”.
As management mogul of major proportion
He’s effectively guided his business’s fortunes
Not only is he a plus octogenarian
He’s also a dedicated humanitarian
A student of history, of its stories old,
Embracing those lessons that need to be told
And though he can’t sing like Domingo or Carreras
He’s nourished our souls by support of O-per-as
A man of faith, and of grace and of dignity
What more, dare we ask, could we want him to be?

So we’ve come here today and are making a fuss
Not only because he’s a generous cuss
But of course he is that! and we’ll never forget it
For all that he’s done he deserves lots of credit.
He has well honored ASOR from the depths of our digs
As a genial compadre in support of our gigs
And so we most proudly now, as exemplar in veritas
Declare him henceforth ASOR Board Chair Emeritus

In similar mean we too want to make clear
And ensure that his memory will always be near
And honor his spirit of kind generosity
By establishing the means to continue his legacy
So thus we this day do declare, set forth, and declaim
A Fellowship Fund Endowment bearing his name
MacAllister Fellowships thus will henceforth in our nation
Provide dig opportunities for a new generation
In truth no constraints could have made us do other
To honor our long cherished, well beloved brother

Joe D. Seger, ASOR Past President (written in 2014)

Links for past webpages and posts about P.E. MacAllister

P. E. MacAllister’s “An ASOR Valediction”

P.E. MacAllister & ASOR–Remarks by Eric M. Meyers at the Gala Event in 2014

Photo Gallery From Gala Event (in 2014) Honoring P.E. MacAllister

E-Newsletter Post From 2014 Describing A Gala Dinner Honoring P.E. on His 95th Birthday

Tribute to the Life of P.E. MacAllister (from MacAllister Machinery website)[/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]

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ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

GCI-ASOR WORKSHOP ON CONSERVATION AND ARCHAEOLOGY

New, updated announcement

Limited spaces are available for this Getty Conservation Institute funded program – apply today!

This is a benefit of ASOR membership, with preference given to project directors.* [/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo-for-GCI-advertisement-2.jpg” image_width=”300″ image_height=”200″ crop=”false” hover=”false” align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”http://www.asor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo-for-GCI-advertisement-1.jpg” image_width=”300″ image_height=”216″ crop=”false” hover=”false” align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]What?

The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and ASOR are partnering to provide members a valuable one-day workshop on emerging realities in conservation and its integration with archaeology.

• Update yourself on the what, why and how of conservation.
• Understand the role of conservation as an integral part of archaeological practice.
• Gain valuable insight and information concerning, planning, budgeting, and funding for conservation.
• Develop your conservation network.

Why?

• ASOR members aim to make a difference by conserving those traces of the ancient past that we work so hard to discover, interpret and share.
• As governments make strategic decisions about which permits to grant, this workshop can help you distinguish your project.

Other benefits?   

• An extra night’s hotel paid and meals for Sunday after the ASOR meeting, supported by The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI).
• Binder with conservation reference materials/handouts and instructor contact details.
• Materials to use in your collaborative planning, teaching and funding requests with conservation professionals.
• Certificate of workshop completion from The Getty Conservation Institute

When and where?
Sunday, November 24, 2019 (after the 2019 ASOR Annual Meeting), at the conference hotel, The Westin San Diego.

How do I apply?
Click here for the online application form. October 1st is the deadline to apply for this limited space program. We will have some rolling acceptances, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Want more details?
Download the Program (Schedule, speakers, and times are subject to change)

FREE Registration for successful applicants includes:

• Breakfast and lunch during the workshop
• One complimentary hotel night at The Westin San Diego (made possible by support from the GCI)

Speakers include:

Angelyn Bass, Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico
Harriet ‘Rae’ Beaubien, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution; Museum Studies Program, University of New Mexico
Suzanne Davis, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan
Martha Demas, Buildings and Sites Department, Getty Conservation Institute
Lynn Swartz Dodd, Religion, Archaeology Research Center, University of Southern California
Heather Hurst, Department of Anthropology, Skidmore College
Ioanna Kakoulli, Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of California at Los Angeles
Douglas Porter, School of Engineering, University of Vermont

Other Questions?
Contact ASOR Director of Meetings and Events, Arlene Press, meetings@asor.org

* If you are a project director, but not yet an ASOR member, apply anyway.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1567019622897{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][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Home for ASOR—Challenge Gift Update (June 10)

ASOR’s New Home, named in memory of James F. Strange

When ASOR was established in 1900, our office was one large room in a Jerusalem hotel. During the past 119 years, we have dramatically expanded our scholarly capacity and public outreach—both abroad and in North America. By 1925, we built a permanent home in Jerusalem. Yet in North America, we moved frequently, from one host institution to another. Now, it is time for ASOR to establish an independent headquarters to serve our broadened constituencies. In January 2018, we set the goal to of raising $1.5 million to purchase, furnish, and maintain an enduring home for ASOR in Alexandria, VA—our Board having determined that the Washington, D.C., area is the location of greatest strategic benefit to our mission.

As of June 10, 2019, we are thrilled to report that we moving ever closer to our goal! Indeed, over a period of thirteen months, ASOR’s generous friends donated almost $1 million in gifts and pledges to the Building Fund. Buoyed by these donations, we purchased an office building (named in memory of James F. Strange) located at 209 Commerce Street in Alexandria. We started moving in on March 20th, we closed on April 24th, and our materials from the Boston Office arrived on May 4th (see article on the move)!

We are also thrilled to report that a new challenge gift of $450,000 will ensure that ASOR meets and even exceeds our $1.5 million goal. Yet, We need to meet two challenges to “earn” this additional $450,000:

• First, we need to demonstrate that we are all behind the purchase of ASOR’s new home and ASOR’s other initiatives by securing 450 donors donating $10 or more to ASOR in this fiscal year (July ’18-June ’19). As of June 10th, we have reached 353 donors, so we need gifts from 97 more individuals, companies, or organizations.
• Second, we need to match the challenge of $450,000 by raising $225,000 in new gifts and pledges (made after February 1st), or $1 for every $2 of the donor’s gift. And we are well on our way, as we have received pledges of $166,900 in the past four and half months—so we only need $58,100 more.

How You Can Help. We are almost there! If you have not already made a gift, please consider joining the “450 donors” campaign by donating to ASOR before June 30, 2019 (all gifts, including programs other than the building qualify). If you have already pledged or made a gift to support our new home, please think about increasing your gift or pledge to the building so that we can raise the last $58,100 needed to qualify for this $450,000 challenge.

To recognize your support, we offer naming opportunities at the following levels:

• Naming of conference room or floor = $300,000
• Naming of an individual office (sizes vary) = $100,000 – $250,000
• Name recognition on smaller office spaces = $25,000 – $99,999
• Name on plaque recognizing major donors = $10,000 or more
• Name on a plaque recognizing all donors at “brick” level or higher = $250 or more

Please click here to give generously today![/vc_column_text][mk_divider divider_color=”rgba(10,10,10,0.99)”][vc_column_text]

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