Sarah Weicksel
Dr. Sarah Weicksel is executive director of the American Historical Association. She has previously worked as the Association’s director of research and publications and as a project historian at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. She serves on the National Archives Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee.
Recent Reflections & News
From the Executive Director in Perspectives on History
AHA Advocacy
In a wide range of situations, whether involving the rights and careers of individual historians, historical practice in diverse venues, or the role of history in public culture, the American Historical Association has the responsibility to take public stands. In the past few years, the AHA has sponsored amicus briefs considered by the US Supreme Court; sent letters to states considering legislation that would restrict history education or eliminate tenure at public universities; and opposed decisions by academic institutions to cut history departments and terminate faculty members.
For the Press
The AHA is pleased to speak with and provide resources for journalists and the media. If you are a member of the media and would like to submit a request for a referral or interview, please email press@historians.org. Please provide any pertinent deadlines and we will do our best to accommodate your request. The AHA can find you a historian for any topic, and assists with dozens of inquiries each year.
Teaching History with Integrity
The AHA, its members, and other historians find ourselves on the front lines of a conflict over America’s past, confronting opponents who are actively promoting ignorance in service of misleading notions of unity. Through Teaching History with Integrity, the AHA leads or participates in several initiatives to provide resources and support for history educators facing intensifying controversies about the teaching of the American past. Historians have a crucial role to play as participants in public deliberations about how to engage students in truthful and rigorous inquiry in history classrooms.