MOM-ICOH receives 2016 AASLH Award of Merit
Posted: June 17, 2016
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) announced that the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine and International Center for Osteopathic History (MOM-ICOH) as a recipient of an Award of Merit for “Over There: Missouri & the Great War.” The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 71st year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.
“Over There: Missouri & the Great War” is a statewide collaborative digitization project to document Missouri’s role in World War I. The project is a digital collection of historical documents, photographs, artifacts, oral histories and other primary source material from museums, archives, libraries and private collections from across Missouri.
Although largely overshadowed by the Second World War, World War I did much to shape the modern world. Missourians actively contributed to various aspects of the war effort, even before America joined the hostilities. Even though osteopathic physicians were unable to enlist as doctors in the Medical Corps, due to laws stating that only physicians with the degree Doctor of Medicine would be eligible to serve, many joined other branches of the service or served in supporting roles, others stayed at home to care for the civilian population. In Kirksville, the American School of Osteopathy (now A.T. Still University) supported the war effort by forming the American Osteopathic Relief Association. These men and women served in other capacities in the hospital such as stewards and nurses alongside the physicians.
This year, AASLH confers sixty-three national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history
The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, visit www.aaslh.org.
The American Association for State and Local History is a not-for-profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history. From its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, AASLH provides leadership, service, and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful in American society. AASLH publishes books, technical publications, a quarterly magazine, a monthly newsletter, and maintains numerous affinity groups and committees serving a broad range of constituents across the historical community. The association also sponsors regional and national training workshops and an annual meeting.