Italian Historical Society of America

A Brief History

The Italian Historical Society of America was founded by John N. LaCorte at a meeting organized by him at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in 1949. The Society was created at a time when the public perception of the Italian culture had been greatly overshadowed by the notoriety of a number of celebrated criminal personalities of Italian descent. It was John N. LaCorte's belief that these negative stereotypes could be overcome by popularizing the lives of the many Italians who have made significant contributions to Western Civilization. He also believed that Americans of Italian decent, as well as people of all other ethnic backgrounds, could be inspired by the great achievements of those who have preceded them. Inspiratio per Exemplum, "Inspiration through Example", was the theme that became the motto of the Society, and which isproudly included in its logo to this day.

On November 20, 1991 John N. LaCorte passed away leaving a great legacy to the future, having made himself a living example of the Society's motto. He was an inspiration of unbounded energy and ideas which often moved mountains against negative opinions and self-assured convictions.. He fought against odds which others said were impossible to overcome: When he knew he was right he would never take "no" for an answer. He kept pushing until the end he desired was achieved. In this context, his magnum opus was achieving, against a sea of criticism, the naming of the bridge which spans Brooklyn and Staten Island, the ocean gateway to New York, after the Florentine navigator, Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European to sail up the river which was later named after Henry Hudson.

Knowing that Henry Hudson's arrival in New York Harbor was preceded by some fifty years by Giovanni da Verrazzano, and that in fact Hudson had utilized some of Verrazzano's navigational charts, LaCorte fought to have this span named after the true discoverer of New York Harbor. The objections were many and varied including the opinion that no one will ever use the name "Verrazzano" because it is too difficult to pronounce. (The official name of the span is Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge".) The Society's founder held his course and achieved the appropriate recognition for this great explorer.

Other achievements include the recognition of Antonio Meucci as the true inventor of the telephone, of Charles J. Bonaparte as the founder of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as achieving a fuller recognition of many myriad of others of Italian heritage who have contributed to the betterment of mankind in such areas as art, music, philosophy and science.

The Society Now

The Italian Historical Society of America is a non-profit educational and research corporation. Under the leadership of LaCorte's son, John J. LaCorte, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills, the Society is in the process of restructuring itself to begin to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. He and the other Trustees of the Society which include three other college professors, a retired teacher and Cavaliere, a Commendatore and a producer for MSNBC, as well as a Monsigneur, are devoted to making the Society into an outstanding organization.

The focus of the Society has been traditionally on commemorative ceremonies which bring the accomplishments of great Italians and Italian-Americans to public awareness. The Society shall continue to maintain and expand these functions. Additionally, the Society shall now begin to direct its energies and resources toward reaching a much wider audience through the use of video, computer technologiesas well as the evolving electronic media. It will be particularly focused in developing educational materials to be made available to schools which will bring an awareness of the significant contributions that the Italian culture has brought to our way of life.

Purposes and Objectives

The following are the purposes and objectives that are included in the Charter of the Italian istorical Society of America and are approved by the Board of Regents of the State of New York:

To gather and preserve biographical and other material relating to persons of Italian lineage who have rendered outstanding service in the advancement of mankind.

To establish and maintain a cultural center or centers which will foster knowledge and information on the contributions made by Italians or persons of Italian lineage in the discovery and development of the New World.

To seek and obtain grants and donations to help support the endeavors of the Society To establish and administer scholarships and fellowships for the encouragement of cultural process generally.

To develop, publish and distribute documents, reports and periodicals in both the print and mass media which will serve to make Italian culture more widely known and more fully appreciated.

Highlights of Accomplishments

1933 - The group called AMERITO is organized. This primarily social organization was the precursor to the Society.

1949 - The first meeting of the Italian Historical Society of America is held on May 29 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

1951 - The premier edition of the Italian-American Review is published by the Society

1952 - The Society is responsible for the placement of the Verrazzano Monument at Battery Park

1960 - The Society is successful in having a United States postage stamp issued in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the general who unified Italy.

1964 - Society is successful in having the Verrazzano Bridge named after the Florentine navigator, Giovanni da Verrazzano

1977 - Society dedicates the Charles J. Bonaparte Auditorium in the newly erected J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, D.C. honoring the founder of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

1981 - Laying commemorative stone for Peter Caesar Alberti - first Italian immigrant - at Battery Park (presently in storage for Park renovations)