Roosevelt Institute for American Studies

The roots of the Institute date back to 1982, when Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., noted American historian, and William J. vanden Heuvel, president of the Roosevelt Institute in Hyde Park, New York, launched the initiative to establish a European research facility specialized in twentieth-century American history in Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland.

Their initiative, discussed with the Provincial Government of Zeeland in the years 1982–1984, resulted in the opening of the Roosevelt Study Center in 1986.

Consequently, the Center was renamed to the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies, and acquired a new set of activities, including the establishment of a graduate school for US history.

The RIAS has an extensive library collection on American and transatlantic history, including both secondary and primary sources.

The RIAS library is freely accessible to any interested researchers in American history, culture, or Dutch-American relations.