The history of the annual meeting is a window onto the field of American Studies, on the emergence and development of research paradigms, and on the response of American studies practitioners to trends and tensions within higher education and broader U.S. and global contexts.

Past Program Books 

The past programs listed below reflect the history of the association. Chartered in 1951, the ASA met biennially in conjunction with the American Historical Association (AHA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA) on a rotating basis until 1967.  During those years, ASA-sponsored panels were incorporated into the program books of the larger societies. From 1967-1985, the ASA met independently on a biennial basis. The first independent annual meeting of the ASA was 1987. 

Please find a copy of the most recent convention (2023) program here, as it appeared September 1, 2023.

Past program books from 1997 to 2023 are listed below. The Program Committee submits a post-meeting reflection to the Office of the Executive Director. Those reflections, from 1997 to present, are included as a post-script to the program book.  

For programs and reflections before 1997, consult the Library of Congress, the official repository of the American Studies Association. Founded at the Library of Congress, the ASA is one of the few learned societies for which the Library of Congress houses its official archives. Printed program books from 1971-2005 are archived at the Library of Congress; beginning in 2005, the Library of Congress only archives electronic books.