AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY. This society was founded at a meeting held in the city of New York 7 June 1892. Its purpose is to collect, preserve and publish material having reference to the settle ment and history of the Jews on the American continent, and to promote the study of Jewish history in general, preferably so far as the same is related to American Jewish history or con nected with the causes of emigration from various parts of the world to this continent. In fulfillment of these objects the society main tains a library and museum in the building of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in the city of New York and has issued a series of volumes known as (Publications,' 25 issues of which have already appeared, and an index volume of the first 20. The researches of the society, which have covered South America, Mexico, parts of Europe and Asia and the whole of the United States, as embodied in the papers and material comprising these (Pub lications,' indicate the presence of Jews on this continent since 1494 and their participation in the upbuilding of the colonies and the later American nation since 1655. The society had,
on 1 July 1916, a total membership of 383 persons. Its first president was Hon. Oscar S. Straus, with Dr. Cyrus Adler as the first cor responding secretary. When, in 1899, Mr. Straus went to Turkey as United States am bassador he declined a re-election as president and Dr. Adler succeeded him. The latter has been chosen in that office annually since this date. The corresponding secretaries of the so ciety, since Dr. Adler's election as president, have been Dr. Herbert Friedenwald, Max J. Kohler and Albert M. Friedenberg. The last named who is the present incumbent was first chosen in 1910.