The Western History Association
The Western History Association is dedicated to fostering scholarship and teaching that advance the study of the American West. We do this by providing a forum for teachers, scholars, students, and professionals to share their research and ideas; sponsoring lectures and colloquies; awarding scholarships and fellowships; and publishing the award-winning Western Historical Quarterly.
A primary governing body, elected by the membership, oversees the business and promotes the broad interests of the organization through policies that encourage diverse scholarship. Members elect the president, president-elect, executive director, and seven regularly elected members to serve on the council. The council, with the assistance of other committees and working groups, manages the organization through a year-round program of events.
Each year, the WHA presents over 30 awards and fellowships to recognize outstanding research and teaching in Western history. These honors are supported by the generosity of donors and funders. Visit each individual award page for submission deadlines, committees, and past recipients.
The WHA publishes the peer-reviewed Western Historical Quarterly, founded in 1970. The journal is available in print and online through Oxford University Press. The journal is read and used in classrooms, libraries, museums, public history institutions, and private collections. It aims to cultivate diverse scholarship by publishing articles that address a wide range of topics in the history of the North American West, including undefined expansion and colonization, indigenous histories, regional studies (including western Canada, northern Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii), as well as transnational and comparative studies.
Meeting annually in a Western town or city, the WHA’s conference brings together scholars, teachers, students, and public historians to discuss their work and engage with each other in scholarly exchanges. The conference offers a variety of sessions and workshops, panels on all aspects of the American West, author, historian, and teacher presentations, vendor exhibits of new and rare first edition books and Old West collectibles, and organized and guided field trips to historic sites and museums.
The conference is also the site of the prestigious annual WHA Roundup Awards Banquet. Attendance is free for members, but registration is required. A free mailing of pre-Roundup news and a copy of the conference program are included with membership.