AARHMS History

AARHMS was founded as the Academy of American Research Historians on Medieval Spain by a group of historians who met at the December, 1973 meeting of the American Historian Association in San Francisco. The intent of the organizers was to create a professional association for medieval Hispanists and especially to promote research in medieval Iberian history. AARHMS was rechristened in 1980 as the American Academy of Research Historians of Medieval Spain, yielding its alphabetical priority in the AHA listing of Affiliated Societies in the interest of greater geographical inclusiveness. In 1976, AARHMS received recognition as an affiliated society of the American Historical Association. Since its inception, AARHMS has sponsored sessions each year at the AHA annual convention and at the International Congresses on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo, Michigan. Since October 1974 the Academy has published a Newsletter and occasionally regional meetings as well. In 1976, Rev. Robert I. Burns, S.J. was elected as the Academy's first president and Bernard F. Reilly as Secretary-Treasurer. By 1977, the Newsletter was being sent to 89 individuals in the United States, Canada, Spain and Israel as well as to a half dozen libraries and research institutions. By 1982, membership climbed to 122 and to 247 in 1997. AARHMS published its first book reviews in 1984. In the early1990s, Lynn Nelson led AARHMS into the digital age by creating the first AARHMS website at the University of Kansas and subsequently a discussion list: AARHMS-L. In 1999, the Academy received a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to establish the LIBRO (Library of Iberian Resources Online) Project that has been hosted by the University of Central Arkansas.