About 'America'
America was founded by American Jesuits in 1909. That year, its first weekly issue was dated April 17. The magazine was modeled on The Tablet of London, a respected Catholic weekly review. America celebrated its centenary in 2009 and is now in its 114th year of continuous publication, making the magazine older than The New Yorker, The New Republic, Time Magazine and most other U.S. journals.
The editorial rooms of America have been located at various addresses on the island of Manhattan over the years since 1909. We began life at 32 Washington Square West. In 1911 the editors moved to 59 East 83rd Street. In 1918 the editorial residence was a town house at 39 West 86th Street. Then in 1926, another move was made, this time to a double house at 329 West 108th Street, where the editors remained for 39 years. Next came a move to 106 West 56th Street, where America was headquartered from 1962 to 2016. A very generous gift from Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston made it possible to purchase that building, which had been New York headquarters of a national fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta. The nine-story facility contained living quarters, library, editorial and business offices, meeting halls and chapel designed by Thomas Slon, S.J. America moved to its current headquarters at 1212 Sixth Avenue in 2017, in the heart of Midtown Manhattan on The Avenue of the Americas.
Since 1909, there have been over 200 U.S. and Canadian Jesuits associated with the magazine, many for terms of only one or two years. On the other end of the scale, some editors have had long tenures. Father Charles W. Whelan was associated with this review for 45 years; Father John W. Donohue for 35 years; Father John LaFarge for 37 years; Father Vincent S. Kearney for 32 years; Father Benjamin L. Masse for 30 years and Father Paul L. Blakely for 29 years. Today, the staff of America is composed of lay people and Jesuits both.
The Founder of America was also the founder of The Catholic Encyclopedia. He heads the list of editors-in-chief:
- Rev. John J. Wynne, S.J. 1909-1910
- Rev. Thomas J. Campbell, S.J. 1910-1914
- Rev. Richard H. Tierney, S.J. 1914-1925
- Rev. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J. 1925-1936
- Rev. Francis X. Talbot, S.J. 1936-1944
- Rev. John LaFarge, S.J. 1944-1948
- Rev. Robert C. Hartnett, S.J. 1948-1955
- Rev. Thurston Davis, S.J. 1955-1968
- Rev. Donald R. Campion, S.J. 1968-1975
- Rev. Joseph A. O'Hare, S.J. 1975-1984
- Rev. George W. Hunt, S.J. 1984-1998
- Rev. Thomas J. Reese, S.J. 1998-2005
- Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J. 2005-2012
- Rev. Matt Malone, S.J., 2012-2022
- Rev. Sam Sawyer, S.J., 2022-
Read Father Thomas Stahel's history of America from The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History.
Read the story of the founding of America here.
Read Charles Morris's two-part history of America, written for our centennial in 2009, here and here.
Browse the first issue of America from April 17, 1909.
View a video history of America from 2009.
Read episodes in the history of America.
Read the June 20, 2005 editorial on the mission of America.