Southern Historical Association

The Southern Historical Association was established in 1934 to promote the study of history of the American South and the teaching of all branches of history in the South.

Eighteen historians from seven southern states organized the Southern Historical Association in November 1934, to promote interest and research in Southern history, to collect and preserve Southern historical records and to encourage state and local historical societies, and secondarily to foster the teaching and study of all branches of history in the South. The Association's principal activities have been the publication of the Journal of Southern History, which appears quarterly, and an annual meeting held in November of each year. The Association also awards three prizes for outstanding publications in Southern history.

The Association is governed by a president, a vice-president (also president-elect), a secretary-treasurer, and an executive council, all elected by the members during the annual meeting. Committees appointed by the president are responsible for the annual program and membership solicitation. Before the adoption of new bylaws in 1973, the president also appointed the nominations committee. The Executive Council now appoints committee members. Ad hoc committees are occasionally appointed to study specific problems (e.g. constitutional revision, selection of meeting sites).

There is a complete list of all Association officers, committee chairmen, editorial staff members, meeting sites, and award winners in series A, folder 689, Perpetual List of Officers and Committees.

For additional information on the history of the Association see Walter Posey, The Southern Historical Association: Its Founding and First Year, Journal of Southern History, XLIII (1977); George B. Tindall, The Pursuit of Southern History, (Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1964); Wendell Holmes Stephenson, The South Lives in History: Southern Historians, (Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1955); Southern History in the Making: Pioneer Historians, (Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1964). Occasional articles in the Journal of Southern History also mention facets of the Association's history.