It is with great joy that we launch the 90 for 90 Campaign: For the Future of the Pennsylvania Historical Association. What does 90 for 90 mean? Members and friends of the PHA celebrate the 90 years since the founding and first meeting by raising $90,000 by December 2023.

What will $90,000 do to help this ferment grow? First, it will put the PHA on yet more solid footing. These funds, like your membership dues, conference fees, and donations, support everything from the annual conference to book and article prizes to Pennsylvania History. One significant recent effort has been to fund two competitive summer stipends for researchers at the Pennsylvania State Archives, which has led to important work on regional topics and publicizes the work of the PHA.

The PHA is equally grateful for members and friends who want to support specific prize or scholarship funds. Please see our Giving page for all the ways you can invest in students and historical research.

In order to foster groundbreaking research by both students and more established scholars, the Pennsylvania Historical Association awards prizes for the best book on the history of the Commonwealth, best articles published in Pennsylvania History by scholars and graduate students, and for the best student research poster presented at each annual meeting.  In addition, the PHA awards the Pencak prize for best student research paper in memory of Dr. William Pencak, a longtime member of the organization whose unflinching generosity to young scholars is fondly remembered by all who knew him. Beginning in 2018, PHA annually presents the Irwin Marcus Award for best National History Day Senior Paper on Pennsylvania’s history. These prizes are funded through the generosity of our members.  If you’d like to contribute, your donation is greatly appreciated!