American Catholic Historical Society

Vision and Mission
The American Catholic Historical Society: a community pursuing historical truth to serve the present and the future.

Mission Statement
Founded in Philadelphia in 1884, the American Catholic Historical Society (ACHS) promotes ongoing study and encourages thoughtful reflection on the diverse history of the Catholic experience in the United States. The Society fulfills this purpose by facilitating the preservation of sources, fostering research, and disseminating scholarship. The ACHS is an independent nonprofit organization with membership open to all those interested in US Catholic history.

Founding
The American Catholic Historical Society was founded for the purpose of collecting and preserving materials relating to American history and the contributions of Catholics to the building of our great nation, as well as the Catholic Church in the United States. It is the oldest historical organization of its kind in the United States.

Membership
Members of the Society come from all faiths and the membership has no restrictions on race, religion or national origin. Today the Society’s membership is represented in all parts of the world. Among its Presidents have been Ambassadors, Bishops, Physicians, Judges and business leaders.

The Society is a non-profit organization as described under Code 501-C-3 of the Internal Revenue Service.

Purpose and goals
The American Catholic Historical Society today continues to promote the documentation and interpretation of the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. It accomplishes its ongoing mission by publishing an award-winning academic journal, American Catholic Studies; sponsoring Society functions; and through the preservation of its historical collections, located at the Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The focus of the American Catholic Historical Society is primarily educational with a special emphasis on the arts, culture, and humanities as they relate to Catholic Studies and U. S. history.