Ulysses S. Grant Association

USGA’s first president was Ralph Newman, and our current president is James A. Bultema.

USGA began at the Ohio Historical Society and moved to Southern Illinois University in 1964. In 2008, following the death of longtime executive director and managing editor, John Y. Simon, John F. Marszalek was selected as Simon’s replacement. Mississippi State University made a home for the Grant Papers at Mitchell Memorial Library. Upon the 50th anniversary of the Grant Association’s founding,  the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library was established at Mississippi State University.

With support from Mississippi State University, Southern Illinois University, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Grant Association has published thirty-two volumes of Grant’s writings in The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant. In this process, it has accumulated over 200,000 photocopies of every known letter written by Grant in addition to many original letters written by Grant, his associates, and family. In 2017, the Grant Association and Presidential Library staff edited The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition and it was published by Harvard University Press. A digital scholarly edition will follow and will show the various editorial stages of the manuscript.

The Grant Association and Presidential Library actively participate in the scholarly community at Mississippi State University and in the broader, national scholarly dialogue. Partnering with institutions such as MSU, the National Park Service, and the Mississippi Museum of Art, USGA hosts teachers’ workshops, symposia, and other public programs.

The Grant Association has an active membership, which meets every year in locations related to Grant’s life. Annual meetings include keynote speakers, tours, presentations, and the invaluable opportunity to meet Grant scholars and descendants as well as fellow Grant enthusiasts. Learn more and become a member.