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About ASDAH

After gathering informally for several years at the American Historical Association (AHA) annual sessions, history teachers in Adventist higher education formally organized into the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians (ASDAH) in 1973 and subsequently became an affiliated organization of the AHA, holding an evening supper meeting during the annual sessions.  One of ASDAH’s initial actions was to recommend to the General Conference to establish an archive available to researchers. Over time, the growth of specialized historical organizations with their own meetings and decreasing availability of travel funds resulted in few Adventist historians attending the AHA sessions and accompanying ASDAH meetings. In 1995, Ben McArthur revived the organization as a series of triennial meetings at different Adventist universities and colleges, the first of which toke place at Southern Adventist University. This practice is continued till today and ASDAH has evolved into an open community of scholars and laypersons who share the same common interests in fostering research not only on Seventh-day Adventist history but all aspects of history. It is also concerned with curriculum, assessment, and other aspects of history department operations. The association publishes an annual newsletter. During the 2013 business meeting at the triennial conference at Union College, a more formal structure for ASDAH was proposed with Ed Allen elected as the president. Following that a work group to develop a more formal constitution for ASDAH was set up and this website was developed as a vehicle of communication among members of ASDAH.*

Current members of ASDAH include but not limited to: 
  • Academics from history departments in Adventist universities and colleges
  • Academics in religion departments, libraries, or other related departments in Adventist universities and colleges
  • Scholars in other research or higher educational institutions interested in historical research on Adventism
  • History teachers in Adventist academies or secondary schools
  • Personnel in GC, Divisions, Unions, or Conferences associated with historical archives, statistics, databases. or E.G White Centers
  • Laypersons with a special interest in Adventist history

*The story of ASDAH was provided by Gary Land and Brian Strayer, both of Andrews University.

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Copyright Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians (c) 2004-2013
Webmaster contact: Bruce Lo at lobw@uwec.edu 
Last updated 08/31/2013