Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award: Thomas J. McCullough

Thomas J. McCullough, assistant archivist for the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has been awarded the 2024 Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in conjunction with the Society of Southwest Archivists. The award honors an archivist who has made a significant contribution to the field of religious archives.

McCullough obtained his BA and MA from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and his MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has devoted countless volunteer hours to the SAA Archivists of Religious Collections Section (ARCS) as a member of the Models and Resources Committee, which plans and delivers Lunch and Learn webinars and Archival Chat sessions. He also maintains the ARCS microsite. McCullough has served as volunteer editor of the Archival Spirit newsletter since 2016 and as editorial assistant for the Journal of Moravian History, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Pennsylvania State University Press. He is also a member of the Lehigh Valley Historical Maps Consortium and the Greater Lehigh Valley Museums and Libraries Alliance. His additional professional activities include serving as an adjunct instructor and contributing scholarly articles to peer-reviewed publications.

As Mary Grace Kosta, the chair of the ARCS Models and Resources Committee and a member of the ARCS Steering Committee notes, "We could not accomplish what we have over the past year and into the new year without Thomas. We absolutely rely on him to ensure the microsite is updated and that the Archival Spirit newsletter, our link with the entire section membership, is published throughout the year. Besides these critical tasks, he has gone the extra mile by volunteering more than any other committee member to serve as a webinar moderator and presenter. I have nothing but the deepest respect and admiration for Thomas and his commitment to religious archives." This sentiment is echoed by all the members of the ARCS Steering Committee.

Created in 1974, this award honors Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., a Dominican nun who was the first professionally trained archivist at the Catholic Archives of Texas in Austin. Past recipients include Russell Gasero, retired archivist for the Reformed Church in America, and Carol W. Smith, archivist for Christ Church Preservation Trust.