Why the OAH Magazine?

Reprinted from the OAH Magazine of History 1 (April 1985). ISSN 0882-228X Copyright (c) 1985, Organization of American Historians

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From the OAH President

The creation of the OAH Magazine of History is not only an idea whose time has come, but an idea that should have been carried through years ago. For all too long now, it has been clear that we needed a publication "for, by, and about secondary teachers." I am delighted that my predecessors, in collaboration with colleagues in secondary schools and colleges and members of the OAH staff, have had the foresight and wit to bring this vital project to fruition; and that the Rockefeller Foundation has provided a grant to help make the Magazine a reality.

Having frequently taken part in history and social studies classes in secondary schools, I know how much this venture will mean both to the teachers with whom I have collaborated and to their students. I pledge the fullest cooperation during my term as President of the Organization of American Historians toward making the Magazine an enduring success.

William E. Leuchtenburg is the 1985 president of the Organization of American Historians and William Rand Kenan professor of History at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

From the Executive Secretary

Ever since the OAH established its Committee on History in the Schools and Colleges in 1974, which issued a 1975 report on the status of history, it has sought effective ways to meet the needs and interests of secondary school teachers. The OAH was, for example, an early sponsor of National History Day.

In the last three years, with the aid of state NEH and Rockefeller Foundation funding, the OAH has established a Professional Day at its annual meetings. The Professional Day panels and sessions are designed for high school history and social studies instructors, many of whom receive travel money, honoraria, or fellowships to make their participation possible. Regular reports about these sessions appear in the OAH Newsletter.

Most recently the OAH, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Historical Association joined together to form the History Teaching Alliance. The Alliance will focus on improving the teaching of Constitutional issues from now until the bicentennial of the Constitution in 1987. This cooperative project is being sponsored by three private foundations: Hewlett, Exxon and Rockefeller.

It seems appropriate, therefore, that the OAH should launch a national Magazine at this time specifically for high school history and social studies teachers. We hope this publication will allow the OAH to better address curricular and other matters of concern at the secondary level. Through their contributions of much of the publication's written material, instructors and their students will be helping to shape the future direction of the Magazine.

The entire staff at the national headquarters of OAH in Bloomington, Indiana, is looking forward to watching this project unfold. I encourage you to express your opinions about the pilot issue of the Magazine by writing directly to me.

Joan Hoff-Wilson, professor of History at Indiana University, is the Executive Secretary of the Organization of American Historians.