ICHF 2011

• Dr. Andreas Önnerfors, University of Sheffield
• Mark A. Tabbert, Director of Collections GWMM
• Robert L. D. Cooper, Curator, Grand Lodge of Scotland
• Thomas M. Savini, Director Chancellor, Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York
• Dr. des. Jim Daniel, History Department, University of Sheffield

ICHF 2011

Committee Chair:

• Dr. Andreas Önnerfors, University of Sheffield, England

Committee Members:

• Professor Cécile Révauger, University of Bordeaux III, France
• Professor Tatiana Artyemeva, St. Petersburg branch of
• the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
• Professor Margaret Jacob, UCLA, USA
• Professor Susan Mitchell Sommers, St. Vincent College, USA
• Professor Jessica Harland-Jacobs, University of Florida, USA
• Dr. María Eugenia Vázquez, UCLA, USA
• Dr. Kristiane Hasselmann, Free University of Berlin, Germany
• Dr. Natalie Bayer, UCLA, USA
• Dr. Aimee Newell, Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction,
• Masonic Museum & Library, Lexington, USA
• Professor Andrew Prescott, University of Glasgow, Scotland
• Professor Martin Papenheim, University of Bielefeld, Germany
• Professor William D. Moore, University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA
• Professor Pierre-Yves Beaurepaire, University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, France
• Professor Miguel Guzman-Stein, University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica
• Professor Jeffrey Tyssens, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
• Professor David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, Brock University, Canada
• Professor Stephen C. Bullock, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA
• Professor Jan Snoek, University of Heidelberg, Germany
• Professor Stephen Kantrowitz, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
• Professor Baudouin Decharneux, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
• Dr. Henrik Bogdan, Gothenburg University, Sweden
• Professor Emeritus, Aubrey Newman, University of Leicester
• Professor Kenneth Loiselle, Trinity University, USA
• Dr. John Wade, University of Sheffield, England
• Dr. Robert Collis, University of Sheffield, England
• Dr. Róbert Péter, University of Szeged, Hungary
• Dr. Brent Morris, Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA

ICHF 2011

• Claus Oberhauser (PhD-candidate), University of Innsbruck, Austria
• Damien Amblard (PhD-candidate), City University of New York, USA
• Ricardo Martinéz Esquivel (PhD-candidate), University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica
• Carlos Francisco Martínez Moreno (PhD-candidate), University of Mexico, Mexico

Masonic Research

ICHF came into being as a result of the realisation that Freemasonry was increasingly being researched as an academic subject. Such research ranged across numerous disciplines and sub-discplines. Those that we are aware of include: History (with sub-divisions such as social history, economic history and gender studies), Geography, Sociology and Modern Studies to name but a few.

International Masonic Conference

Such research was taking place in various parts of the world but there was no single forum at which all researchers, and those interested in the results of that research, could come together to hear the latest developments in the subject. Other subjects and periods of history have dedicated conferences yet there was no international forum dealing with the subject of Freemasonry. Once this deficiency was recognised there were a number of intense discussions as to how an international conference devoted solely to Freemasonry could be brought into existence.

The intention to form ICHF was announced in June 2004 Great Queen Street, London, at a meeting of Research Lodges and individuals interested in researching any aspect of Freemasonry.

The initial 'shape' of ICHF was drafted by Professor Andrew Prescott, James Daniel and Robert Cooper in the Marquess of Granby pub in November 2004. It was thought that 2007 would be the earliest that a truly international conference could be held and this was set as the year for the first ICHF.

There was considerable discussion as to whether or not ICHF should include fraternal organisations in addition to Freemasonry but after careful examination of existing research it was clear that Freemasonry could stand alone as a subject for academic study although associated subjects would not be ignored.

Once the idea of ICHF had been agreed in principal the next step was decide how to make it a reality. It was quickly realised that there were three essential elements necessary to bring the conference to fruition. The first for these was the organisation of the conference (venue, catering, social activities etc.). The second was contact and cooperation with the academic world and the third was the need for a management body dedicated solely to coordinating the whole enterprise.  

More to follow...