Arkansas Historical Quarterly (AHQ)

The Arkansas Historical Quarterly (AHQ) is the official publication of the Arkansas Historical Association (AHA), offering original research on Arkansas history subjects as well as relevant secondary resources. It is housed in the AHA offices in the history department of the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County).

The Arkansas Historical Association was organized in Little Rock (Pulaski County) on February 22, 1941. Its first project was “publication of a journal of state history.” David Yancey Thomas, one of the main proponents of creating the AHA, was its first editor. The first issue of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly was published in March 1942 and featured “a ‘Salutory,’ a ‘List of Charter Members,’ four leading articles, ten pages of ‘Documents,’ twelve pages of book reviews, six pages of ‘News Notes of Historical Interest,’ and five pages of ‘Personal Notes.’”

Thomas died in 1943, and Fred H. Harrington was editor for a short time before Dorsey Jones took over in 1944. After Jones left the state, Ted R. Worley became editor in 1953, helming the publication for five years before Walter Brown became editor in 1959. Under Brown, the journal became a full scholarly journal, eschewing the mix of reminiscence and folklore that had previously run alongside scholarly articles. He would serve for thirty-two years until Jeannie Whayne became editor with the autumn 1990 issue. She was succeeded by Patrick G. Williams with the winter 2005 issue but remained associate editor for a time.

The editor is assisted by a Board of Editors, whose members assist in the peer-review process for articles being considered for publication.

The AHQ offers occasional thematic issues with all of the articles addressing the same historical event and sometimes including reprints of earlier articles. Thematic issues have focused on the 150^th anniversary of UA, women’s suffrage, the legacy of Friedrich Gerstacker, historical archeology, the sesquicentennial of the Prairie Grove Campaign, the fiftieth anniversary of the Central High Desegregation crisis, and the Louisiana Purchase, among other subjects.

Regular features in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly in the twenty-first century include articles by staff of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program on Arkansas properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, book reviews, “Book and Media Notes,” “News and Notices,” an annual index and an annual bibliography of books, theses and dissertations, and journal articles on Arkansas history.

For additional information:
Arkansas Historical Association. http://arkansashistoricalassociation.org/ (accessed February 15, 2024).

Atkinson, J. H. “The Arkansas Historical Association.” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 20 (Summer 1961): 115–117.

Mark K. Christ
Central Arkansas Library System