Two newly-appointed members of the Department of the Interior's Indian Arts and Crafts Board--Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., and Dr. Mitchell A. Wilder-- attended their first Board meeting Friday, January 27, with Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall. The five-member Board promotes the development of Indian arts and crafts by providing professional advisory and technical assistance in production, promotion and marketing.
The five members (commissioners) are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior and serve four-year terms without salary or fee.
Josephy, of Greenwich, Conn., is widely known as an author, editor, and historian of American Indians. A member of the board of editors of American Heritage Magazine, he is in charge of the publication of American Heritage and Horizon books. He was editor of the "American Heritage Book of Indians" and the "American Heritage History of the Great West," and is author of "The Patriot Chiefs," biographies of nine great American Indian leaders; "The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest;" and other works.
Dr. Wilder is Director of the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art in Fort Worth, Tex., where he lives. His background includes service as Director of the Chouinard Art Institute, Los Angeles; as Vice President, Director of Presentation, and Director of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection, Williamsburg, Va.; and as Director of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.
The two new members replace Rene d'Harnoncourt of New York City and Erich Kohlberg of Denver, who had served on the Board since 1944 and 1956, respectively. Other commissioners are Dr. Frederick J. Dockstader, chairman; Vincent Price; and Lloyd New.
