The Historian interacts with staff and the Internal Communications Officer (ICO), and the APS collection at Iowa State University, to record and archive historically relevant information, for the purposes of informing the leadership and general membership of APS of the critical importance of historical context in planning for the future of the profession. The Historian furthermore has primary responsibility to convey the rich history of APS to all members of the Society through periodic submissions to Phytopathology News and other mechanisms as suggested by Council.
The Historian is selected from nominees provided to Council, and is elected by Council to a term of 5 years. This term is renewable upon mutual agreement of the office holder and Council.
General Responsibilities
- Consult periodically with the appropriate personnel at the Special Collections Department of the Parks Library at Iowa State University, the APS repository, to ensure that the historical records of APS are collected, maintained, and made available to patrons in a satisfactory manner.
- Serve as a resource person to the national and divisional officers and headquarters staff of the APS with regards to historical records and to encourage the deposition of appropriate materials in the APS collection at Iowa State University.
- Serve the APS membership as follows:
- Respond to queries related to the history of plant pathology and of APS.
- Promote an awareness of the history of the profession of plant pathology and of APS.
- Serve as an advisor in projects entailing historical perspectives.
- Prepare and transmit to the President and ICO a periodic report of the state of the APS archives and the activities undertaken in promoting plant pathology history awareness.
