Tuesday, May 26, 2015
On March 30, 2015 the Ephemera Society lost one of its best and finest when Carol Mancini Resnick passed away. A distinguished dealer and expert in the fields of books and ephemera, along with husband Steve, Carol served on our Board of Directors and—importantly—as our president during an unusually stormy and contentious period, firmly guiding the Board and the membership into calmer waters. Like many organizations that enjoy growth from a small initial group of participants, the Ephemera Society went through growing pains. Carol was the right person in charge at the right time. Had she not stepped up as strongly as she did, on all fronts, ESA might not now exist. The fruit of her labors is the fact that the Ephemera Society of America is today a vital and growing organization, increasingly known and respected by collectors, dealers, researchers, academics and archivists. Many Society members and past leaders have offered appreciations of the Carol's service and character. Here are two. Stephen Miller "Carol and Steve Resnick were founding members of the Ephemera Society. In 1985, Carol became President, and she soon asked me to serve as Chairman of the Board. These were perilous times for our organization: in fact we were on the verge of insolvency. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her and witnessed at close hand her courage and commitment to preserve the society in the face of sometimes controversial and unpopular changes that we both believed were necessary to regain financial stability. Carol used her intelligence, common sense, gentle persuasion and persistence to expand the size of the board, democratize elections, eliminate various costly expenditures around board meetings, repay outstanding Society debts, and refuse to allow the society to operate at a deficit. The Carol which I will always choose to remember was vibrant, clear-headed and charming, a person whose warmth, honesty, and love of family and profession will outlast all other memories." Richard McKinstry "I was privileged to have known Carol through our Ephemera Society involvements. She was President of the Society when I joined the Board in 1997; it was my honor to have succeeded her in that position two years later. The Society was fortunate to have had Carol in her leadership position at that time. Her great insight, extensive knowledge, seemingly limitless energy, and effective administrative skills were all put to good use as she worked tirelessly to position the organization for the 2000s. I very much admired how Carol interacted with her ESA colleagues and to this day thank her for introducing us to Susie and Eric Johnson. Carol’s influence has extended far beyond her tenure. At her urging, the ESA now has established an archive, built an online presence, and adopted long range planning. My fond memories of her will never leave. I offer my heartfelt condolences to her husband Steve and daughters Alexandra and Elise." The Ephemera Society of America offers its strongest appreciation of a most classy and intelligent woman.
