In response to the question of what is the role of Organization of American Historians, you deserve to have a grasp of the core of the organization’s content and character in their attending or immediate society. The Organization of American Historians (OAH) is the largest scholarly organization devoted to the history of the United States, and to promoting excellence in the scholarship, teaching, and presentation of that history.
An international non-profit membership organization, the OAH has over 6,000 members who are university and college professors as well as individuals employed in a variety of scholarly and institutional settings, including libraries, museums, national parks, and historical societies.
With hitting the nail on the head, it suffices to expose you to the mission of the OAH which is to promote excellence in the scholarship, teaching and presentation of American history, to encourage wide discussion of historical questions, and to advocate for history and the equitable treatment of all practitioners of history.
Meanwhile, the statement of their mission as defined above tells us that the OAH seeks to be a public-facing, dynamic scholarly society—one that honors the accomplishments of previous generations while advancing and advocating for the study and practice of history today. This means growing OAH into a broad community for all historians and a hub, host, and incubator for rigorous and trusted U.S. history.
Role of the OAH
Let us therefore check out some of the expected and official role of the Organization of American Historians:
- Promote excellence in the scholarship, teaching and presentation of American history
- Encourage wide discussion of historical questions
- Advocate for history and the equitable treatment of all practitioners of history
- Honor the accomplishments of previous generations
- Advance and advocate for the study and practice of history today
Organization of American Historians Conference
Originally focusing on the history of the Mississippi Valley, the association evolved into the primary organization of specialists in U.S. history. Membership is open to anyone interested in the organization’s mission: promoting excellence in the scholarship, teaching, and presentation of American history, encouraging the wide discussion of historical questions, and the equitable treatment of all practitioners of history.
Each spring the OAH holds a four-day conference, which is attended by approximately 2,000 people, along with nearly 75 exhibiting companies that display and sell their recent publications and products in American history. The program committee organizes approximately 150 sessions and workshops concerned with scholarly and professional matters of interest to specialists in U.S. history at all levels and in all settings. In addition, many smaller historical groups use the OAH conference to schedule speakers and discussions at breakfasts, luncheons, and special sessions.
The OAH Distinguished Lectureship Program, established by OAH President Gerda Lerner in 1981, coordinates and arranges lectures by prominent scholars on a variety of historical topics. More than 500 speakers who have made major contributions to the many fields of U.S. history participate in the program. Lectureship fees, beginning at $1,000 and paid directly as donations to the OAH, enable the organization to function more effectively on behalf of the historical profession. Host institutions also pay the lecturer’s travel and lodging expenses. A list of lecturers and their specific topics is available at the OAH website.
