"A Ready Outlet for Arizona Historians": The Founding and Evolution of the Journal of Arizona History, 1960–1972

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Arizona state historian briefly produced a quarterly publication dedicated to Arizona history. Unfortunately, the short-lived Arizona Historical Review lasted less than a decade. Following its demise in 1936, no publication specifically dedicated to Arizona history emerged to replace it.¹ At least not right away. However, in the spring of 1960, a new publication dedicated to Arizona history was born. Called Arizoniana, this new quarterly publication initially chronicled the accomplishments of the Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society (APHS), the forerunner of the current Arizona Historical Society.² Within five years, the publication itself was renamed the Journal of Arizona History. It changed dramatically during its first dozen years, evolving from a newsletter dedicated to relaying the internal goings-on at the Historical Society to an important venue for the latest and greatest scholarship on Arizona history. Now in its sixtieth year, the Journal of Arizona History has admirably fulfilled its role as the publication dedicated to encouraging the creation and dissemination of new knowledge on Arizona history.

Originally founded in 1884, the Historical Society found renewed vigor at midcentury as evidenced by the new publication. Beginning in the late 1950s, the society had a new director, Yndia Smalley Moore, and a new curator of collections and historian-inresidence, Ray Brandes. A native of California, Raymond Stewart Brandes studied western history and archaeology at the University of Arizona, where he eventually completed a PhD. Although no editor was listed for volume one of Arizoniana, Brandes undoubtedly served in that capacity in 1960, as he did for the next four years, through 1964.³ There was an air of excitement at the Historical Society. As the publication's first issue proclaimed, "In recent years the membership of the Historical Society has grown considerably, as have the holdings of both the Research Library and the Museum. … Accordingly, the Society has become increasingly aware of its responsibilities as a state historical institution. The year 1960, beginning a new decade, seems appropriate for the birth of a permanent printed record of the activities of the Society."⁴

Like many state history publications, staffing was initially an issue. As the first issue of the new publication noted, "The preparation of four issues of Arizoniana each year promises to be a challenge, but the staff at the Historical Society is not afraid of the task." In its inaugural year, the new publication was slim, and it looked more like a society newsletter than a professional journal. Brandes authored what might be considered the publication's first article, a short piece called "Notes of Charles D. Poston (1825–1902): 'The Father of Arizona.'" In its first few years of existence, such historical writings did not include end or footnotes, and most tended to be biographical celebrations of "great men" from Arizona's "pioneer" past. In fact, a regular section, "Vignettes of Arizona Pioneers," first appeared in the Fall 1960 issue. Besides the "Vignettes" section, Arizoniana also featured regular installments such as "Dust from the Archives" and "Museum Notes," which APHS staff wrote.⁵

In 1961, the society made an important change to the title. The quarterly newsletter now had a subtitle and became known as Arizoniana: The Journal of Arizona History. Some further hints of a desire to improve the new publication came over the next few years. The editors added a new feature—a small book review section—in the Spring 1962 issue. In the same issue, the editorial staff noted that Arizoniana "publishes manuscripts not of book length and carries news of the Historical Society and of statewide historical matters of interest."⁶ In other words, the newsletter was becoming a journal.

The efforts to professionalize the young publication did not go unnoticed. Many readers noted and approved of the changes that were occurring. For instance, an up-and-coming western historian named Robert M. Utley, then working for the National Park Service in Santa Fe, wrote a congratulatory letter to Brandes and his staff, which they duly published in...