Statements

Mission

The Society works to preserve and tell the stories of all Tennesseans. The purpose of the Society is "to promote interest in, and preservation of, all matters relating to the history of Tennessee."

Background

The Tennessee Historical Society originated in 1820 as the Tennessee Antiquarian Society. In 1849, it was reorganized under its current name and it operates under a charter received from the state in 1875. May 1, 2023, marked the 174th anniversary of the THS. From the first, the mission of the THS was to collect and preserve the history of the state. We collected first-hand accounts of the state's settlements, governors' and presidents' papers, portraits, artifacts, and other materials. Among these are an Egyptian mummy, donated in 1860, and one of the Society's most memorable holdings. Until the 1920s, the THS served as the de facto state library and museum. In 1927, our private, membership organization entered into a trust agreement with the State, whereby its collections would be made available to the public at the Tennessee State Library & Archives and Tennessee State Museum. Almost all major histories of Tennessee, since 1820, have been written by members of the Tennessee Historical Society. Since the 1920s, the Society has focused its activities on adding to its museum and manuscript collections, publishing new historical research, and presenting public programs. The Society also sponsors on occasion traveling museum exhibits, on topic such as woman suffrage. In recent years, we published The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, which is now available as a free website for persons interested in our state and which we update on a regular basis. For a more complete history of the Society's first 150 years, see "The Tennessee Historical Society at 150: Tennessee History 'Just and True,'" in the Fall 1999 Tennessee Historical Quarterly.

Impact

In Fiscal Year 2022-23, the top five accomplishments of the Tennessee Historical Society were: 1) successfully producing an in-person Tennessee History Day competition in April 2023, with more than 7,000 students participating statewide; 2) continuing Tennessee 101, an online webinar series; 3) continuing publication of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly and the free on-line service The Tennessee Encyclopedia; 4) continuing Tennessee Talks, an online discussion group on selected texts; and 5) maintaining THS membership levels and the value of the THS endowment. In Fiscal Year 2023-24, our goals are: 1) to produce Tennessee history Day in April 2024, hosting virtual educator workshops across the state and coordinating 7 district competitions; 2) to continue quality programming with Tennessee 101, our online course on the history of Tennessee; 3) to continue publication of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly and the free on-line service The Tennessee Encyclopedia; 4) to maintain THS membership levels and increase the value of the THS endowment, and 5) to increase the audience for Tennessee Talks.

Needs

The five most pressing needs of the Tennessee Historical Society are: 1) developing greater diversity among revenue sources; 2) reaching a wider audience with information on Tennessee's history, including an increase in THS membership; 3) increasing funding support to provide an additional staff member, as capacity is now at its limits; 4) providing support for for educators engaged in Tennessee History Day; and 5) making the case that an understanding of history is not only relevant but essential to a civil and democratic society.

CEO Statement

The Tennessee Historical Society thinks in deep time, making it distinctive among Tennessee's non-profits. While many groups, by necessity, approach the needs of the here and now, the THS considers time across generations and centuries. The Greeks called this view of time "chronos," eternal or on-going time, the long view that brings wisdom. We have entered a new century where our culture seems to reward shorter and shorter attention spans. Technologies become obsolete even as they come to market. People need things yesterday. However, knowledge of the deepness of the past and a long view of the future will benefit us as we address the challenges and opportunities we face. Everything we know today came to us from the past. The THS addresses the long view by preserving the stories and objects of the generations who have lived in Tennessee. Some, Native Americans, were here before the end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago. Others, coming from Europe and Africa, came first to our state almost 500 years ago, settling permanently in the 1700s - that is, twelve generations back. More recent Tennesseans have come in the last decade or two, from Cambodia, Sudan, Kurdistan, Mexico, or Michigan. These stories of new Tennesseans are important too. The THS has made this record of triumph, tragedy, and the everyday available to Tennesseans for more that 165 years, and we will preserve them into future centuries. Why is this important? As Rosabeth Moss Kanter has observed, people care about their place in history when their own past is valued, and when their own past is valued, they take the long view. With the long view comes "a commitment to those who come after them...and therefore they see the need for actions to benefit the distant future." Thus, the THS is primarily focused on preserving and promoting our past. But in so doing, we are helping Tennesseans to look at the deep time ahead of us and to think about solutions to the challenges that face us all.

Board Chair Statement

The Tennessee Historical Society has a well-earned reputation for presenting accurate, intelligent content that engages the public in the history of Tennessee. This content is presented in our peer-reviewed Tennessee Historical Quarterly, the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, Tennessee History Day, a lecture series, and partnerships with other organizations in support of historical initiatives. Upon this solid base, we now intend to build a more robust statewide presence by achieving greater penetration of our prospective audience and by presenting more timely historical context for current events. Modern communication tools, chiefly digital media, afford us the chance to reach many more people, more economically and more frequently. In so doing, we expect not only to better fulfill our mission of promoting interest in our great state but also to expand our roster of loyal members and supporters, who make all these offerings possible. We invite everyone to become members and participate with us as we grow the organization and enhance its relevance to all citizens of the state and to anyone with an interest in Tennessee's fascinating history.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Historical Organizations
Secondary Category:	Education  - Secondary & High Schools
Tertiary Category:	Youth Development  - Youth Development Programs

Areas Served

The Tennessee Historical Society works to serve the entire state and conducts statewide projects. Headquartered in Nashville, the majority of its in-person membership programs take place in Davidson County. By tradition, the Society has filled the need for a Davidson County historical society.

TN - Bedford

TN - Cannon

TN - Cheatham

TN - Clay

TN - Coffee

TN - Cumberland

TN - Davidson

TN - DeKalb

TN - Dickson

TN - Fentress

TN - Franklin

TN - Giles

TN - Hickman

TN - Houston

TN - Humphreys

TN - Jackson

TN - Lawrence

TN - Lewis

TN - Lincoln

TN - Macon

TN - Marshall

TN - Maury

TN - Montgomery

TN - Overton

TN - Perry

TN - Pickett

TN - Putnam

TN - Robertson

TN - Smith

TN - Stewart

TN - Sumner

TN - Trousdale

TN - Van Buren

TN - Warren

TN - Wayne

TN - White

TN - Williamson

TN - Wilson