Voice

Lee W. Formwalt

It is difficult to begin almost any discussion these days without some reference to the horrible tragedy we have come to refer to by shorthand as "September 11." And, yet, one theme that has resounded across the land has been the need to return to normal routine. As I reflected on what that means for historians, it became clear to me that we must continue our traditional role of helping people understand the events of the day by putting them into their historical context. The Organization of American Historians continues to help historians do that in its role as a voice of the American history profession. This issue of the Newsletter is a good example of that role with several articles and columns on the meaning and significance of September 11. It also serves as a forum for the recent discussion of Michael Bellesiles's controversial book, Arming America: The Origins of the National Gun Culture.

We are more literally a voice for American historians through our radio program, Talking History. OAH began cosponsoring this weekly half-hour radio program in July and will begin producing some of the interviews at WFIU here in Bloomington on the Indiana University campus. Eventually, we hope to move the entire production to Bloomington and to more widely distribute the program by delivering segments to greater markets. We have, for instance, already had inquiries from Voice of America and Vatican Radio.

OAH is also helping American historians have a larger voice on Capitol Hill. On the opening day of our next annual meeting in Washington (Thursday, 11 April 2002), members can attend a workshop on how to effectively make your representatives aware of the issues that are important for historians and the profession. NCC executive director Bruce Craig will be joined by Heather Huyck, David Kyvig, Gail Leftwich, Page Putnam Miller, Linda Kerber, Jessica Jones, and John Hammer in presenting several sessions on the important legislative issues and how to approach your congressperson, senator, or their staff. Those who preregister for this workshop will be assisted before they come to Washington in setting up an appointment with their representatives or senators for the afternoon after the workshop or the following day.

President Darlene Clark Hine and I provided the OAH a voice at the recent annual meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in Washington in late September. There we recounted our recent history with the Adam's Mark Hotel. Even more recently, former OAH president David Montgomery, former OAH convention manager Sheri Sherill, and I traveled once again to St. Louis to be deposed by Adam's Mark attorneys in preparation for our trial next spring. As I reviewed the numerous documents relating to the move we made from the Adam's Mark Hotel to Saint Louis University for our 2000 annual meeting, I was reminded of the voice with which American historians spoke nineteen months ago--making a public stand against racism wherever it is practiced in America.

Last month, OAH used its voice to reach out to related groups both within and outside the profession. Deputy Director John Dichtl represented OAH at the National Council for History Education annual meeting in Washington, DC. There he spoke about our new radio program and our efforts to more widely disseminate the OAH Magazine of History. NCHE members, most of whom are precollegiate teachers, now receive the Magazine and, in return, OAH members receive the NCHE monthly newsletter, History Matters! (more). NCHE continues to do an incredible job in bringing together college and university historians to talk with precollegiate teachers. While John was in Washington, I spoke to the Midwest Archives Conference fall meeting in Indianapolis. There I noted that although archivists and historians clearly belonged to two different professions, it was imperative that we work together. Historians cannot interpret the past without documentary evidence and archivists are guided in their selection and preservation work by the deeper understanding of the past that historians provide them.

In the next few weeks the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and Oxford University Press (OUP) will be asking OAH members for their voice. ACLS and OUP will provide OAH members free online access to the new American National Biography for several months. This is not a marketing ploy. ANB editor Mark Carnes wants to hear from OAH members about the biographies related to their fields. Is a significant person missing? Does the biography of a significant person need to be corrected, improved, or even rewritten? There is no better group of experts for the ANB to draw on than the Organization of American Historians.

The OAH Distinguished Lectureship Program allows us to bring to various communities around the country the voices of some of America’s most talented historians. Already this year we have thirty engagements for historians to speak on college and university campuses and elsewhere. I encourage you to help arrange a lectureship in your community. As we are learning in the wake of September 11, it is more important than ever for historians, those citizens with a longer and broader view of the American experience, to step forward and be heard.