In 1991, the Executive Board of the American Folklore Society selected Utah State University as the official repository for its papers. The decision to place the AFS papers at USU was based in part on the university’s central location to major U.S. folklore programs, the national reputation of the school’s own folklore program, and the library’s commitment to maintaining and providing access to the collection. The Society’s collection, dating from 1890, continues to receive regular additions from current AFS officers and section heads. The AFS collection is divided into two parts: a manuscript collection (MSS COLL 206) and a published collection containing the Journal of American Folklore and the AFS book series (FOLK COLL 18).
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, memorandums, financial records, membership records, meeting agendas, conferences, notes, questionnaires, surveys, election records, by-laws, applications, grants, committee records, and affiliate records generated by the administrative offices of the American Folklore Society. Records will be transferred continually to this archive from the AFS offices as they become inactive. The materials are divided into series according to function. The series within this archive include Historical Records, Secretary/Treasurer, Presidents Papers, Affiliates, Centennial Coordinating Committee, Philadelphia Folklore Project, Committees, Constitution, Executive Board, Meetings, Publications, and Sections. These series are further divided into sub-series. The archive spans the years 1890 to 2000.
Officers and Editors
Secretary/Treasurers 1942 D. S. Davidson
1943-1960 MacEdward Leach
1961-1965 Tristram P. Coffin
1966-1972 Kenneth S. Goldstein
1973-1976 Richard Bauman
1977-1981 David J. Hufford
1982-1986 Charles Camp
1987-1991 Timothy Lloyd
1992-2000 Shalom Staub
Executive Director 2001- Timothy Lloyd
Presidents 1942 Harold W. Thompson
1943 Gladys A. Reichard
1944 Benjamin B. Botkin
1945 Melville J. Herskovits
1946-1947 Joseph M. Carrière
1948 Erminie W. Voegelin
1949 Thelma G. James
1950 A. H. Gayton
1951-1952 Francis Lee Utley
1953-1954 William R. Bascom
1955-1956 Herbert Halpert
1957-1958 Wayland D. Hand
1959-1960 William N. Fenton
1961-1962 MacEdward Leach
1963-1964 Melville Jacobs
1965-1966 Samuel P. Bayard
1967-1968 Richard Dorson
1969-1970 Daniel J. Crowley
1971-1972 D.K. Wilgus
1973-1974 Dell Hymes
1975-1976 Kenneth S. Goldstein
1977 Ellen Stekert
1978 J. Barre Tolken
1979 Roger D. Abrahams
1980 Alan Dundes
1981 Don Yoder
1982 Linda Dégh
1983 W.F.H. Nicolaisen
1984 Bruce Jackson
1985 Jan Harold Brunvand
1986 Rayna Green
1987 Judith McCulloh
1988 Alan Jabbour
1989-1990 Henry Glassie
1991-1992 Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett
1993-1994 Sylvia Grider
1995-1996 Jane Beck
1997-1998 John Roberts
1999-2000 Jo Radner
2001 Peggy Bulger
2002 Jack Santino
Journal of American Folklore Editors 1888-1899 (volumes 1-12) William Wells Newell
1900-1907 (volumes 13-20) Alexander F. Chamberlain
1908-1924 (volumes 21-37) Franz Boaz
1925-1939 (volumes 38-52) Ruth Benedict
1940 (volume 53) Gladys A. Reichard
1941 (volume 54) Archer Taylor
1942-1946 (volumes 55-59) Ermine Wheeler-Voegelin
1947-1951 (volumes 60-64) Wayland D. Hand
1952-1953 (volumes 65-66) Katherine Luomala
1954-1958 (volumes 67-71) Thomas A. Sebeok
1959-1963 (volumes 72-76) Richard M. Dorson
1964-1968 (volumes 77-81) John Greenway
1969-1973 (volumes 82-86) Americo Pardes
1974-1976 (volumes 86-89) J. Barre Toelken
1976-1980 (volumes 90-94) Jan Harold Brunvand
1981-1985 (volumes 94-98) Richard Bauman
1986-1990 (volumes 99-103) Bruce Jackson
1991-1995 (volumes 104-108) Burt Feintuch
1996-2000 (volumes 109-113) Jack Santino
2001- (volumes 114- ) Elaine J. Lawless
For more information: 435/797-2663; Manuscript Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Utah State University 84322-3000
