The Polish American Historical Association Continues its Mission: Somethings Old, Somethings New

Abstract

Recently I completed a two-year term as president of the Polish American Historical Association—my second, following one that ended a decade ago—and it is customary for an outgoing president to deliver a presidential address at the banquet ending the annual meeting of the Association that marks his or her departure from that office, summarizing the main themes of the previous two years in the activities of the society, and to have those remarks published here in the pages of Polish American Studies, the PAHA journal. But truth in advertising obliges me to confess that this is a “presidential address” in ironic air quotes only. It is composed after the fact. I never delivered these remarks, or anything like them, at the 79th yearly PAHA conference in Philadelphia in January 2023, for the simple reason that too much else of more stimulating nature was going on to leave time or inclination for a post-prandial ceremonial talk that often can induce heavy eyelids or furtive glances at cellphones, and no doubt those in attendance that evening who would have been subjected to such a soporific are grateful they were spared that ordeal. But as for the conference itself, and what it reflects about the past, present, and future of PAHA, that is another and more revealing matter entirely, and I will return to it anon.Let me begin by going to basics, and recalling the mission statement of the Polish American Historical Association: To promote the study of Polish American history and culture as part of the greater Polish diasporaTo encourage and disseminate scholarly research and publication on the Polish American experience in the fields of history, the social sciences, the humanities and the arts, and advance scholarly collaboration across disciplinesTo support collection and preservation of historical sources regarding the Polish past in America1I would submit that in the years spanning my two presidencies, the story of PAHA has been its dynamic effort to advance that mission in ways both long established and novel, adapting as needed while remaining true to the purpose for which it was founded.In their addresses, my two immediate and much esteemed presidential predecessors, with good reason, trained their focus on elements of change in the culture and membership of PAHA in recent years. Anna Müller emphasized a generational shift within PAHA, with an older, veteran cohort (mine, as it happens) being reinforced by an influx of younger scholars, bringing with them new perspectives and backgrounds.2 Before her, Anna Mazurkiewicz built her remarks around the vigorous expansion of links between PAHA and the Polish academic world that began after the end of the Cold War, that has gathered speed over the past decade and a half, and that she made the priority of her presidency.3 Those are important and welcome developments, for all scholarly societies can use the invigoration of new blood; and they are connected, as many of the more junior entrants into PAHA ranks are themselves Polish-born and -based. What is more, it will surprise no one that, as a group, they are more savvy and comfortable with technology and social media, and their possibilities, than their elders, so their combination of energy, talent, and openness to fresh ways of understanding, explaining, and depicting the historical experience of the Polish diaspora in the United States and other parts of the globe have done much to inspire and drive several innovative and ongoing PAHA initiatives.To put these points into some perspective, as mentioned earlier, I had served a previous term as PAHA president, apparently not having so misgoverned the Association that it would not have me back again. When I first left office at the beginning of 2013, holding meetings and conferences in Poland rather than North America was still a novelty; now it is a standard option that can happen as often as not. In 2013, PAHA had not had a president who resided in Poland; now it has, with doubtless more to come. Ten years ago, PAHA had not begun special projects such as “Objects That Speak,” collecting and posting on our website images of items of material culture that illustrate the lives and trials of Polish migrants, or an effort to collect, preserve, and post for public view letters and memoirs of the Polish World War II diaspora.4 Nor had PAHA decided the time had come to sponsor a revised and expanded makeover of a worthy but now outdated guide to places of Polish American heritage, resulting in the publication last year of Footprints of Polonia: Polish Historical Sites Across North America, compiled through the efforts of scores of volunteer contributors, and edited by Ewa E. Barczyk.5 To add to this recitation, within the past few months the Association board of directors approved the launching of PAHA Books, a venture to find and publish under-the-radar works of Polish Americana and diaspora studies that deserve to be read and learned from but would be unlikely to get a thumbs-up from standard academic or commercial presses worried about their bottom line.Candor compels me to admit that none of these advances in the foregoing list was one for which I could claim credit, and only the last was initiated during my presidency just ended. Rather, it was my duty and privilege as president to collaborate with my colleagues, the dedicated and imaginative leaders of PAHA, and help to facilitate their industry on behalf of the Association—or, to put it in plainer language, more often than not my job was to say to one or more of them, in so many words, Yes, that's a good idea—let's do (or keep on doing) it.Of course, these new departures do not replace, but complement the core activities of PAHA that have been sustained for a long time, the means of implementing its mission that go back to the origins of the society. These are many, but two stand out. One is the very journal you are reading, Polish American Studies. Starting its run in 1944, two years after the founding of PAHA itself, PAS has served as a forum for the finest scholarship on Polish diaspora studies for the past three quarters of a century, in effect the face and voice of PAHA in the realm and marketplace of knowledge. Its roster of previous editors-in-chief—most recently, Dr. James S. Pula, who held that position for more than thirty years—reads like a short list of the most important figures in the history of the Association and the academic field it serves, and the current editor, Dr. Anna Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann, continues that succession of distinguished leadership.In the journal, PAHA speaks on the printed or virtual page, but the typical highlight of the year is the annual meeting, held in conjunction with the American Historical Association as one of its affiliate bodies, where members can gather in person to share research and fellowship. My presidency began on a melancholy note, in the shadow of COVID-19, when the pandemic caused cancellation of the AHA conference of 2021, and with it ours as well. Making lemonade out of lemons, PAHA responded by holding a series of occasional webinars, extending our usual audience and providing occasion for long-distance contact during the extended phase of isolation and travel restrictions, but the gradual return to something like normality has been a welcome relief. The AHA-PAHA conference resumed in 2022, in New Orleans, but in spite of the fine quality of the presentations and the famous appeal of the host city it was a subdued affair, with many still reluctant or unable to make the journey to the Big Easy, and attendees understandably wary of crowds. All of which made the more relaxed 2023 meeting recently held in Philadelphia doubly gratifying. Afterwards, there was general agreement that this had been one of the best, most stimulating PAHA conferences in memory, with presentations covering a broad range of topics from an evaluation of Footprints of Polonia to pierogi, Americans relating their experiences playing pro basketball in Poland, to special guest Anthony Biddle, the son of the US ambassador to Poland during World War II, holding the room spellbound as he spoke of his father's diplomatic career and speculated what he would advise American policymakers regarding the Russo-Ukrainian war. Treated to a few days in one of the leading hubs of Polish heritage in the United States, in their spare time PAHA participants enjoyed the gracious hospitality of the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, the Polish American Cultural Center, and the Associated Polish Home to enliven the occasion. Not a bad way to close out a presidency. And unsurprisingly, no one on hand in Philadelphia seemed to miss listening to the after-dinner presidential address you are now reading.