Statement of Purpose: To promote the study of the North American West in varied aspects and broadest sense. The first meeting of what was to become the Western History Association was held in Santa Fe, NM, in October 1961, organized by a small group of history “buffs” and academic historians. Since then the organization has met annually in a wide range of western, and sometimes eastern, cities bringing together a diverse group of western writers, academic historians, public historians, and enthusiasts. Membership is open to any person with an interest in the North American West.
Find more information in the AHA Directory of History Departments and Organizations
Officers
President
William Bauer
Univ. of California, Riverside
E-mail: william.bauer1@ucr.edu
President-elect and Editor, Western Historical Quarterly
Anne Hyde
Univ. of Oklahoma
E-mail: anne.hyde@ou.edu
Immediate Past President
Kelly Lytle Hernández
Univ. of California, Los Angeles
E-mail: hernandez@history.ucla.edu
Executive Director
Elaine M. Nelson
Western History Association
E-mail: emnelson@westernhistory.org
Updated 3/14/25