Louisiana Historical Association

Louisiana Historical Association
Name	Louisiana Historical Association
Formation	1889
Headquarters	New Orleans, Louisiana
Leader title	President

Louisiana Historical Association is a scholarly society founded in 1889 devoted to preserving and promoting the history of Louisiana and the wider Gulf Coast region. The association operates in New Orleans, collaborates with institutions such as the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Louisiana State Museum, and the Tulane University Department of History, and engages with archival repositories including the Louisiana State Archives and the Poydras Center. It publishes research, organizes meetings, and advocates for preservation alongside partners like the National Park Service, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution.

History

The organization was established during the late 19th century alongside contemporaries such as the American Historical Association, the Mississippi Historical Society, and the Texas State Historical Association amid renewed interest in antebellum and Reconstruction-era studies. Early leaders included figures associated with Tulane University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and municipal institutions of New Orleans and collaborated with preservationists from the Vieux Carré Commission and the Garden District. Throughout the 20th century the association navigated periods shaped by events like World War I, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and Hurricane Katrina, working with archives such as the New Orleans Public Library and collections linked to families like the Poydras family and the Bienville family. The group's activities intersected with legal and political developments including the implementation of the Louisiana Purchase historiography and debates over Confederate monuments tied to the United Daughters of the Confederacy and municipal councils in cities such as Baton Rouge and Shreveport.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission emphasizes preservation, publication, and public outreach, partnering with entities including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Historic American Buildings Survey, and the American Antiquarian Society. Activities include archival accession with the Louisiana State University Special Collections, oral-history projects involving communities in Oak Alley Plantation and St. Martin Parish, and advocacy for sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places and state registers administered by the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation. The association liaises with museum professionals from the New Orleans Museum of Art and educators from the Louisiana State University system to develop curricula and exhibits reflecting events such as the Battle of New Orleans, the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788, and the development of Creole and Cajun cultures.

Publications

The association produces a scholarly journal and monographs used by historians at institutions like Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Its flagship periodical features articles on figures such as Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, Alexandre Mouton, and topics including the Louisiana Purchase, the Haitian Revolution's impact on the region, and the role of ports like New Orleans Port of Louisiana in transatlantic trade. The publications cite primary materials from repositories such as the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Homestead Records, and estate archives tied to the Darrow family and the Pontalba family, and they appear in libraries including the Library of Congress and university presses like the LSU Press.

Conferences and Events

Annual meetings and conferences convene scholars, archivists, and preservationists from organizations such as the Organization of American Historians, the Southern Historical Association, and the American Association for State and Local History. Programs have featured panels on topics ranging from the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 to the cultural history of Mardi Gras and sessions with curators from the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Field trips visit plantations, battlegrounds like Fort St. Philip, and urban heritage districts such as the French Quarter and the Bywater District, often coordinated with municipal agencies including the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises academics, archival professionals, and public historians affiliated with institutions such as Tulane University, Louisiana State University, Southern University, and independent scholars connected to archives like the Historic New Orleans Collection and the New Orleans Public Library. Governance follows a board structure with officers drawn from universities, museums, and legal firms based in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette, and includes committees addressing publications, preservation, and outreach that work with partners such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and state agencies like the Louisiana Board of Regents.

Awards and Recognitions

The association bestows prizes and recognitions for scholarship and preservation, honoring authors and projects connected to publishers like the LSU Press and archives such as the Historic New Orleans Collection. Awards have recognized biographies of figures including Henry Clay, studies of events like the Battle of New Orleans, and documentary projects on subjects such as Creole architecture and the history of Louisiana French. Recipients often include faculty from Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, and Louisiana State University as well as curators from the New Orleans Museum of Art and conservators working with the National Park Service.

Category:Historical societies in the United States Category:Organizations established in 1889 Category:History of Louisiana