Mormon History Association


The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field. MHA was founded in December 1965 at the American Historical Association meeting in San Francisco under the leadership of Latter-day Saint and historian, Leonard J. Arrington. In 1972, MHA became an independent organization with its own annual conferences and publications. The Journal of Mormon History, the official biennial publication of the association, began publication in 1974. MHA also publishes the quarterly Mormon History Newsletter and is an affiliate of both AHA and the Western History Association.
MHA "welcome all who are interested in the Mormon past, irrespective of religious affiliation, academic training, or world location." Its members are composed of people both within and without The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ, including those who reject Mormonism.

Presidents

MHA presidents are recognized contributors to the field of Mormon history and serve for one year.
YearsNameProminence at the time of service
1966–67Leonard J. ArringtonMHA co-founder; Utah State University historian; author of Great Basin Kingdom
1967–68Eugene E. CampbellBrigham Young University history professor
1968–69T. Edgar LyonNauvoo Restoration
1969–70S. George EllsworthUtah State University history professor
1970–71Richard D. PollWestern Illinois University vice-president; former BYU historian
1971–72Davis BittonMHA co-founder; University of Utah history professor
1972–73James B. AllenMHA co-founder; BYU history professor
1973–74Reed C. Durham Jr.Director of Institute of Religion at the University of Utah
1974–75Thomas G. AlexanderBYU history professor
1975–76Charles S. PetersonUniversity of Utah historian; former director of USHS
1976–77Paul M. Edwards
1977–78Douglas D. AlderUSU history professor and director of honors program
1978–79Milton V. BackmanBYU Religious Education professor
1979–80Jan ShippsIndiana University professor of history and religious studies
1980–81Dean C. JesseeJoseph Smith researcher and archivist with the LDS Church.
1981–82Melvin T. Smith
1982–83William D. RussellProfessor of history at Graceland University
1983–84Kenneth W. GodfreyLDS Institute of Religion Director
1984–85Maureen U. BeecherBYU English professor with the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute.
1985–86Richard L. BushmanColumbia University historian; author of Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism
1986–87Richard W. Sadler
1987–88Valeen Tippetts AveryNorthern Arizona University historian, Co-author of '
1988–89Stanley B. KimballSIU Edwardsville historian; biographer of Heber C. Kimball
1989–90Carol Cornwall MadsenBYU historian with the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute.
1990–91Richard P. HowardWorld Church Historian of the RLDS Church
1991–92Ronald W. WalkerBYU history professor
1992–93Marvin S. HillBYU historian; author of Quest for Refuge: The Mormon Flight from American Pluralism
1993–94Roger D. LauniusJWHA president; chief historian for NASA
1994–95Mario De Pillis
1995–96David J. WhittakerBrigham Young University archivist
1996–97Linda King Newellhistorian; author of Mormon Enigma; editor of '; JWHA president
1997–98Armand L. MaussWSU professor of sociology and religious studies
1998–99Jill Mulvay DerrBYU historian; authored women's histories
1999–2000Newell G. Bringhurst
2000–01William G. HartleyDirector of the Family History and Genealogy Research Center at BYU
2001–02Dean L. MayUniversity of Utah historian specializing in social history of the American West
2002–03Lawrence FosterGeorgia Institute of Technology professor of History, Technology, and Society
2003–04Martha Sonntag Bradley
2004–05Donald Q. CannonBrigham Young University professor
2005–06Philip L. BarlowProfessor of theology and American religious history at Hanover College
2006–07Ronald K. EsplinJoseph Smith Papers Project director; BYU historian; Joseph Fielding Smith Institute director
2007–08Paul L. AndersonBYU Museum of Art curator
2008–09Kathryn M. DaynesBYU historian; author of More Wives Than One
2009–10Ronald E. RomigCommunity of Christ archivist
2010–11William P. MacKinnonIndependent historian; author of At Sword's Point
2011–12Richard L. JensenResearch historian with LDS Church History Department
2012–13Glen M. LeonardIndependent historian; author of Nauvoo
2013–14Richard E. BennettBYU professor of Church History and Doctrine
2014–15Laurel Thatcher UlrichHarvard University historian of early America and women; Pulitzer and Bancroft winner
2015–16Laurie Maffly-KippProfessor at Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, Washington University in St. Louis
2016–17Brian Q. CannonBYU historian and director of the Charles Redd Center
2017–18Patrick Q. MasonUtah State University Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, Professor of History. Former Howard W. Hunter Chair at Claremont University.
2018–19W. Paul ReeveUniversity of Utah professor of history and the Director of Graduate Studies in the History Department
2019–20Ignacio M. GarciaBYU Lemuel H. Redd Jr. professor of Western American History at Brigham Young University.
2020–21Jenny LundDirector of the Historic Sites Division of the Church History Department

''Journal of Mormon History''

Since 1974, MHA has produced the Journal of Mormon History, an academic journal in the field of Mormon studies. From the founding of MHA until 1974, was a principal venue for articles on Mormon History written by MHA members.
A DVD archive of past issues of the journal is available at MHA's web site.

List of editors

Mormon History Association Awards

Among the awards presented by the Association are: the Leonard J. Arrington Award "for distinguished and meritorious service to Mormon history" - named for the MHA's founder, and father of New Mormon history; Best Book Award; Best First Book; Best Documentary or Bibliography; Best Biography; an award for an outstanding International Mormon history; an award for an outstanding history of a Mormon family.