Federation of Genealogical Societies

Federation of Genealogical Societies
Name	Federation of Genealogical Societies
Formation	1976
Dissolution	2019
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Austin, Texas
Region served	United States

Federation of Genealogical Societies was an American nonprofit organization that served as a consortium for local, regional, and national historical societys, genealogical societys, and heritage organizations. Founded in the 1970s, it connected thousands of archivists, librarians, and volunteer historians through advocacy, education, and resource sharing. The organization played a role in major initiatives involving National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress, and state archives while influencing practices adopted by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, and American Library Association.

History

The organization emerged in a period shaped by the bicentennial celebrations of the United States Bicentennial and a resurgence of interest in family history that echoed activities at institutions such as the New England Historic Genealogical Society, National Genealogical Society, and the Genealogical Society of Utah. Founders drew inspiration from models used by the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and state historical commissions like the Texas Historical Commission. Early collaboration included projects with the National Archives, State Historical Society of Iowa, and municipal archives in cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Over ensuing decades the organization interacted with federal actors including the National Endowment for the Humanities and participated in policy discussions alongside figures associated with the Library of Congress and leadership from the American Historical Association.

Mission and Activities

Its stated mission emphasized support for member genealogical societys, promotion of preservation best practices, and facilitation of access to primary source collections held by institutions like the National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress, and state archives in California, Virginia, and New York. Activities often paralleled initiatives undertaken by the National Genealogical Society, FamilySearch, and volunteers from organizations such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum who worked on records preservation. The organization advocated on issues that intersected with legislation debated in bodies such as the United States Congress and initiatives undertaken by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Organizational Structure

Governance mirrored nonprofit models used by institutions like the American Historical Association and the Society of American Archivists. Leadership included an executive director, board of directors, and regionally elected representatives from chapters modeled after the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution. Committees focused on areas comparable to those at the Library of Congress, such as records preservation, education, and digital access. Membership tiers reflected conventions used by the New England Historic Genealogical Society and local entities in metropolitan areas including Los Angeles, Houston, and Seattle.

Programs and Publications

Programs included educational webinars and certification-like training reminiscent of offerings from FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, and university continuing education departments at institutions such as Brigham Young University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Publications ranged from newsletters to conference proceedings similar to materials produced by the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and the American Archivist. The organization produced resource guides and toolkits used by local societies such as the San Francisco Bay Area Genealogical Society and regional historical societies in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Collaborative projects involved cataloguing and indexing efforts comparable to partnerships between the National Archives and volunteer groups who have aided repositories like the New York Public Library.

Conferences and Events

Annual conferences served as major convenings that drew speakers and attendees previously associated with events hosted by the National Genealogical Society, RootsTech, and the American Library Association Annual Conference. These gatherings featured workshops on record types preserved by institutions such as the National Archives and Records Administration, state vital records offices, and county courthouses in locales like Cook County, Illinois and Maricopa County, Arizona. The conferences provided venues for exhibitors including commercial entities like Ancestry.com and nonprofit partners such as FamilySearch and the Library of Congress.

Partnerships and Affiliations

The organization established partnerships with archival and genealogical entities similar to affiliations maintained by the Society of American Archivists and collaborated with national programs such as the National Endowment for the Humanities grants and projects coordinated with the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. It worked alongside major repositories including the National Archives, state archives in Texas and Massachusetts, and university libraries at institutions like Harvard University and University of Utah. Affiliations extended to lineage-based organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution and to commercial and nonprofit technology partners such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.

Impact and Legacy

By the time it transitioned into new organizational forms, the consortium influenced preservation practices adopted by county and state repositories in regions including New England, the Midwest, and the Southwest. Its conferences and publications seeded programs at the National Genealogical Society and reinforced collaborations with institutions such as the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration. The legacy includes increased capacity among local genealogical societys, adoption of digitization workflows in partnerships with entities like FamilySearch, and advocacy that informed public access debates involving the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and legislative bodies including the United States Congress.

Category:Genealogy organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in Austin, Texas