As New York Folklore turns 75 in 2019, and our journal celebrates its 75th year of publication in 2020, I invite our supporters and readers to join us in celebration! This is also a time to look back on our rich history, and remember the people who helped us reach the place we are at today.
We were founded in 1944 as the New York Folklore Society (New York FolkloreS) by a group of interested scholars, foremost among them Harold W. “Tommy” Thompson and Louis C. Jones. Dr. Thompson trained an entire generation of New York State educators about the value of folklore as a mechanism to reach students learning about New York State literature and culture. He was always concerned about public involvement in folklore, and he brought folklore to public audiences in New York’s Capital District by hosting a long-running, call-in radio show about folklore on WGY in Schenectady in the 1950s. As described by Louis Jones, Thompson’s course at the New York State College for Teachers was the very first undergraduate course in American Folklore in the nation. Thompson’s enthusiasm for folklore and its expression through the oral traditions of New York’s families, neighborhoods, and communities created an audience that extended beyond the classroom to the state at large.
Co-founder, Louis Jones, an authority on folk art, crafts, and the supernatural, was the director of the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown from 1947 to 1972. Jones promoted the vital connection between folklore and history and its relationship to public history, making the argument that museum professionals should embrace folk culture and social history and shy away from the current focus on “elite” individuals. He affirmed the importance of the narratives of working people, immigrants, and those whose stories had been heretofore largely ignored by historians and museum professionals. This pairing of literature and social and cultural history, and a concern for engaging the public in the recognition and enjoyment of folk cultural expression, continues to influence folklore scholarship in New York State.
Dr. Thompson and Louis Jones helped lay a strong foundation for us in 1945, to grow and build on through the years and continue to do so in the future. Over the next two anniversary years, we hope to provide increased opportunities for New York’s programs and professional development trainings to more fully engage constituencies throughout the state.
This fall, a gala 75th Birthday Celebration will take place at the Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, New York, on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Please plan to attend. Watch our events page and follow us on social media for details. We look forward to seeing you there!