American Historical Collection

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The American Historical Collection (AHC), established in 1950, consists of about 13,000 books, 18,000 photographs, and other materials related to the American experience in the Philippines and to the relationship of the two countries. With the possible exception of the holdings of the Library of Congress, the AHC is the largest, most diverse and most complete in the world^{[citation needed]}.

Ambassador Myron Cowen (1949-1951), who saw the devastation wrought by World War Two on many things including the memory of the times preceding it, encouraged the American community to donate books and other materials pertaining to the first half of the 20th century. His initiative was responsible for the early phase of the collection.

The AHC was housed first at the U.S. Embassy, then at the Thomas Jefferson Center in Makati City. It is now kept at the Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila University. The Rizal Library is committed to preserving the collection following the standards it uses when conserving its own holdings. Furthermore, it is committed to facilitate the research of scholars. The American Historical Collection Foundation, Inc. aids and supports the AHC. Ownership of the AHC is in trust with the American Association of the Philippines.

[edit] Principal Holdings

The Spanish-American War and American Occupation and Philippine-American War (1898-1902), including the reports of the 1st (Schurman) and 2nd (Taft) Commissions.
The annual reports of the Philippine Commission and the Insular Government departments.
Biographical materials on American in military and civilian life.
Journalists' reports and books on the Philippines, 1898-1934
Reports and records of the Philippine Assembly and Senate, 1907-1934
Reports of U.S. official commissions (such as the 1924 Monroe Report on Education)
Periodicals (such as the American Chamber of Commerce Journal [1921-1993], Philippine Magazine [1925-1941], Philippine Review [1916-1953], Far Eastern Economic Review [1904-1910].
Complete records of the wartime, 1941-1945, internment of allied citizens (U.S., British, Dutch, etc.) at Los Baños and Santo Tomas.