UW History Professor Elected to American Antiquarian Society

Melissa Morris, an associate professor of history and director of the Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research at the University of Wyoming, has been elected to membership in the American Antiquarian Society (AAS), a 214-year-old national research library and community of learners dedicated to discovering and sharing a deeper understanding of the American past.

Morris joins a distinguished roster of more than 1,200 members from 48 states, the District of Columbia and seven other countries. Elected for their achievement in academic or public life, AAS members include scholars, collectors, librarians, artists, writers and history enthusiasts.

Since the society's founding in 1812, some 14 U.S. presidents, more than 75 Pulitzer Prize winners, scores of Bancroft Prize winners, many Guggenheim Fellows and several MacArthur Fellowship winners have been elected to membership.

Morris is a historian of the 17th-century Americas whose research brings together sources in English, French, Spanish and Dutch. Her work is centered on imperial rivalries, the environment and Indigenous and African knowledge. Her book, "Cultivating Colonies: Tobacco and the Origins of Atlantic Empires," is forthcoming from the University of Pennsylvania Press.

Located in Worcester, Mass., AAS holds the world's largest and most accessible collection of original printed, handwritten and visual sources from before 1900 in what is now the United States. The library of over 4 million items includes books, pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers, periodicals, children's literature, music and graphic arts material.

AAS connects people across the globe with these collections through its digital catalog and resources, online exhibitions and virtual learning experiences. Additionally, it supports dozens of researchers, artists and writers each year with a variety of fellowship programs.

AAS is located at 185 Salisbury St. in Worcester, Mass. The library is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The library is free and open to anyone with projects or interests related to the collections. All are welcome to join its free public programs held throughout the year. To learn more, visit https://americanantiquarian.org.