In a bid to engage more people in the future, the Ohio Historical Society intends to make its name a part of its past.
In May the nearly 130-year-old organization will become Ohio History Connection, a change intended to present the organization as something that is much more than just a museum and holder of records.
“We do not want to be a behind-the-glass type of organization any longer,” said Burt Logan, the organization’s executive director and CEO.
Founded in 1885 as the Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society, the organization last changed its name in 1954. The new name is a result of two years of market research that found, among other things, that the words ‘historical’ and ‘society’ were too exclusive and antiquated.
“People didn’t see us as an approachable organization as the Ohio Historical Society,” Logan said.
And while people might say they’re not interested in history, Logan said, they often do admit to an interest in the past, particularly in subjects with which they have connections.
Other historical organizations across have taken similar steps to update their name and image to better fit the 21st century.
Colorado’s historical society became History Colorado. In Boston, the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities became Historic New England. And closer to home in Montgomery County, the county historical society joined with another group to become Dayton History.
The change to Ohio History Connection also is intended to convey that in the modern digital age, there are many ways beyond the traditional museum that allow people interact with the organization.
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