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The American Historical Collection (AHC) consists of some 12,000 books, 17,000 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 U.S.Library of Congress, it is the largest, most diverse and most complete in the world.
 The AHC is the primary resource in Manila for official documents and reports from 1898 to 1946, such as the Reports of the US-Philippine Commission (1900-1915), Reports of the Governors-General of the Philippine Islands (1916-1935), Reports of the High Commissioner, the Executive Orders and Proclamations (1901-1933), Reports of the War Department and of the Secretary of War (1898-1924), and other insular government reports.
 Equally valuable to the researcher or historian are the thousands of miscellaneous documents – pamphlets, reports, articles, and other items that had been collected – as well as the AHC’s unparalleled files of photographs. These go back to before the U.S. era and include photos of Filipino notables as well as U.S. officials and prominent members of the Manila community in the U.S. era.
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History of the American Historical Collection
In 1950, U.S. Ambassador Myron Cowen, who saw the devastation wrought by the war 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 20 th century. His initiative was responsible for the early phase of the collection.
While it could easily have come under Embassy jurisdiction, Ambassador Cowen wanted the library to have a more permanent, and local organization, “as ambassadors come and go.”
It was decided to devolve the library’s maintenance and finances upon the American Association of the Philippines(AAP) Historical Committee to take on the responsibility, to oversee the new library. The Committee to be formed of equal number of members appointed by the Ambassador and by the AAP.
Acquisitions, donations, and funds were administered by the American Historical Committee. The Collection was housed in the U.S. Embassy for many years and later in U.S. government-leased premises, notably the Thomas Jefferson Cultural Center in Makati. In 1990, a crisis in the life of the Collection was overcome with providential help from the U.S.Library of Congress, which needing space for its own collections, provided financial support for the housing and operation of the library. This assistance continued through 1995, at which time U.S. government support for the AHC was terminated.
With the withdrawal of this support, the American Historical Collection Foundation (AHCF) was created to subsume the American Historical Committee for the purpose of overseeing the Collection and raising funds for its continuation. Under a 1995 directive of then U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, the AHCF inherited the responsibilities of the American Historical Committee.
In 1995, an agreement by and between the American Association of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University, the Collection is assured of a permanent life in the intellectual heart of the nation which the American helped to create.
The Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila University is committed to preserve the collection following the high standard it uses when conserving its own holdings. Furthermore, it is committed to facilitate the research of scholars.
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American Historical Collection: Vision and Mission
To maintain a unique and exceedingly rich repository of historical information and objects of historical research on Philippine history especially on the period of hegemony in the Philippines, 1899-1946.
To cultivate good understanding, based on mutual knowledge and mutual appreciation, among Americans and Filipinos, among international scholars and among all elements of the Philippine population.
To provide students, teachers, and scholars with documentary resources to rethink and rewrite the Philippine-American relations. To ensure the development, organization, preservation and use of the Collection.
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Objectives
The main purpose of the library is to maintain the unique and exceedingly rich repository of historical information and objects of historical research on Philippine history especially on the period of hegemony in the Philippines, 1899-1946. Its purposes also include cultivating a good understanding, based on mutual knowledge and mutual appreciation, among Americans and Filipinos, among international scholars and among all of the Philippine population.
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American Historical Collection: Principal Holdings
- Spanish-American war and American occupation and war (1898-1902).
- Annual Reports of the U.S.-Philippine Commission including the reports of the 1st (Schurman) and 2 nd (Taft) Commissions, 1900-1915.
- Annual Reports of the Governors-General of the Philippine Islands, 1916-1935.
- Reports and records of the Philippine Assembly and Senate (1907-1934).
- Reports and records of U.S. official commissions (such as the 1924 Monroe Report on Education) and the Insular Government departments.
- Reports of cases determined in the Supreme Court from 1903-1947.
- Public laws passed by the Philippine Commission, 1900-1935.
- Biographical materials on Americans in military and civilian life.
- Journalists’ reports and books on the Philippines, (1898-1934).
- 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 camp records of the wartime (1941-1945) internment of allied citizens (U.S., British, Dutch, and others) at Los Banos and Santo Tomas.
- Monographs, manuscripts, news clippings, and information on vertical files.
- Special collections of artifacts, memorabilia, photographs, maps, and multi-media materials.
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