NSSAR SAR Magazine

The inaugural issue of what is now the SAR Magazine (originally titled the Official Bulletin) was published in October 1906.

The Inaugural Editor

The first editor was A. Howard Clark, who served as the Society’s Secretary General (and later Registrar General).

• Role: Clark was a Smithsonian curator and a foundational figure in the society. He edited the bulletin from his office at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

• Style: His editorial approach was administrative and historical, focusing on preserving accurate records of the society’s growth and the lineage of its members.

The primary feature—essentially the “headline” story—of this inaugural October 1906 issue was the granting of the Federal Charter by the United States Congress.

• The Event: On June 9, 1906, the 59th Congress passed the act incorporating the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

• The Significance: The act was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was himself a member of the SAR. This elevated the society from a fraternal club to a federally chartered non-profit, a prestigious status shared with only a few other organizations (like the Red Cross).

• Content: The issue featured the full text of the Charter, the list of the new General Officers elected at the Boston Congress, and updates on the society’s mission to mark the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers.