Polish American Historical Association

The Polish American Historical Association (PAHA), founded in 1942, is a scholarly association dedicated to the study of Polish American history and culture. Originally a section of the larger Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America, PAHA soon became an independent organization. On September 11, 1942, historian Oskar Halecki proposed an autonomous historical institution and chose Miecislaus Haiman of the Polish Museum of America in Chicago as its founding president. Since 1944, PAHA publishes "Polish American Studies", an interdisciplinary journal focused primarily in social science and the humanities relating to American Polonia. It is edited by James S. Pula, who also edited PAHA's recent "The Polish American Encyclopedia" (McFarland Publishing, 2011).
PAHA is recognized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (EIN 362729972) and is headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut, with a membership of scholars and individuals interested in Polish immigrant history from around the world. One of PAHA's main functions is to maintain liaison with scholars throughout the world and promote research. The organization also encourages and assists local Polish American programs. PAHA'S MISSION STATEMENT identifies the following goals:
Structure.
The current Officers and Board of PAHA include:
Publications.
In addition to its scholarly journal, "Polish American Studies", edited by Prof. Anna Jaroszynska-Kirchmann (for the previous 30 years edited by Prof. James Pula), the organization publishes a semi-annual "PAHA Newsletter", and a blog with current news and brief articles pertaining to the history of Polish immigrants in America (edited by Dr. Maja Trochimczyk. PAHA also supports the publication of books on Polish and Polish American subjects by the Ohio University Press. The association has also sponsored its most substantial publication, "The Polish American Encyclopedia," edited by Prof. James Pula and published in 2011 by McFarland Books to a great critical acclaim.
Conferences.
PAHA sponsors an annual conference, in conjunction with the American Historical Association, which serves as a forum for research in the field of ethnic studies. The 73rd Annual Meeting took place in Atlanta, Georgia, in January 2016. The list of earlier Annual Meetings is posted on PAHA Website.
Awards.
Each year at its annual meeting, PAHA bestows a series of award honoring individuals and organizations for their contributions to the Polish American cultural and social life and to its history and the arts. The Halecki Prize honors books, the Haiman Award - distinguished scholars, the Amicus Poloniae - individuals not of Polish descent dedicated to the cause of Polonia, the Swastek Prize - the best article published in Polish-American Studies, and the Skalny Civic Achievement Awards - contributions to Polonia's community. PAHA also bestows Creative Arts Awards, Distinguished Service Award, and Graduate Student Award(s). The Awards and their honorees are described below.
The Oskar Halecki Prize.
The Oskar Halecki Prize "recognizes an important book or monograph on the Polish experience in the United States." It commemorates one of the co-founders of PAHA, historian Oskar Halecki (1891-1973).
The Haiman Award.
The Miecislau Haiman Award of the Polish American Historical Association is "offered annually to an American scholar for sustained contribution to the study of Polish Americans." These awards commemorate a historian, writer, journalist, translator and Polonia activist, Mieczyslaw (Miecislau) Haiman (1888-1949), who was the first director of the Polish Museum of America, and the first historian of American Polonia.
List of the Haiman Award Winners:
Creative Arts Awards.
PAHA's Creative Arts Award, established in 1999, "recognizes contributions in the field of creative arts by individuals or groups who have promoted an awareness of the Polish experience in the Americas."
List of Winners:
The Swastek Prize.
The Swastek Prize is awarded annually for the best article published in a given volume of Polish American Studies, the journal of the Polish American Historical Association. This award, established in 1981, is named in honor of Rev. Joseph V. Swastek (1913-1977), the editor of Polish American Studies for many years, and a past president of the Polish American Historical Association.
List of Winners:
Amicus Poloniae Award.
The Amicus Poloniae Award, established by PAHA in 2001, "recognizes significant contributions enhancing knowledge of Polish and Polish-American heritage by individuals not belonging to the Polish-American community."
Skalny Civic Achievement Award.
Since 1991, PAHA's Civic Achievement Awards has honored "individuals or groups who advance PAHA’s goals of promoting research on and awareness of the Polish experience in the Americas."
Distinguished Service Award.
This award is given occasional to a member of PAHA who has rendered valuable and sustained service to the organization.
Graduate Student Research Paper Award.
The Graduate Student Research Paper Award recognizes outstanding research into Polish-American history and culture by a young scholar in the humanities or social sciences. The winner receives a travel grant to present the paper at the PAHA Annual Meeting.
Young Scholar Travel Grant.
The Young Scholar Travel Grant will replace the Graduate Student Award and was presented for the first time in 2017 at the Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado.
Special Projects.
PAHA serves as an archival institution, and makes appeals for memoirs and historical artifacts among Americans of Polish descent to aid in its historical research. PAHA secured archival storage space at the Central Connecticut State Library with strong interest in acquiring firsthand memoirs and documents from the postwar Polish American diaspora and their current descendants.