Back in 2003 I was one of three founding members of the American Heraldry Society, with David Boven and Cory McHenry. Those were the days.
As I recall, the Society grew out of discussions in an online forum. One of the usenet groups, I think. Probably rec.heraldry. In the beginning David was our President, I was Vice President, and Cory was Secretary. As with many new groups, the way we arranged ourselves into the choice of offices was something that didn’t take much thought. It was just obvious. Later, I was happy to disappear into the background and leave the politics to new members with more ambition and higher social needs.
The Society was originally incorporated in the state of Colorado in 2003, but was dissolved and re-incorporated in Texas in 2007. I used to have some of the original records but succeeding corporate officers have never asked for them. In the end, I disposed them. In our modern world, I doubt anyone would have ever needed them.
Our little group attracted a lot of attention and eventually became the premier society for American heraldry in a very crowded field. (It seems every amateur heraldic enthusiast in America wants to preside over his or own society.)
The Society is a membership organization. Annual dues are currently set at $25/year (2026). Quite minimal. The benefit I love most is the ability to upload personal arms to the website and have them “recorded” and displayed there.
I’ve always been very proud of what the Society has accomplished, growing out of the original vision and working with a core group of very dedicated members.
- American Heraldry Society Website
- American Heraldry Society Facebook Page
- American Heraldry Society Roll of Arms
Rev. July 15, 2026 to remove outdated information about the website.