Professionals from the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen), the American Genealogical Society (AGS), the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), and Family Search are celebrating 50 years of professional genealogical credentialing on Saturday, October 12, 2013 at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. One can click here for the full information on the Events page on Facebook.
The ICAPGen accreditation program was established in 1964 by the Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2000, the Church transferred its ownership and administration of the accreditation program to the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists, internationally recognized as ICAPGenSM. At that time ICAPGen was an affiliate of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA). Today, as a fully incorporated non-profit institution, the Commission appreciates the support of UGA, and the generosity of others who supported its founding. ICAPGen now operates as a completely independent testing (not membership) organization. Click here to learn more about ICAPGen.(1)
The BCG credentialing program was established in 1964 and has it roots in the AGS, which is an elected organization established in 1940 that sprang from academia with a goal to “elevate the profession of genealogy to the same literary and scientific level enjoyed by history.” In 1963, members of AGS felt there was a need to establish an organization that set scholarship standards for professional genealogists if genealogy were to be treated as a serious research discipline. After talks with leaders from the National Genealogical Society (NGS) and librariars plans for the Board of Genealogical Certification were finalized in February, 1964. Their first trustees were from different groups and their first board meeting was in April, 1964. Click here to learn more about BCG. (2)
The ASG was founded in 1940 and currently is an independent honorary society of the leading published scholars in the field of American genealogy. According to their website, the organization is limited to 50 life-time members designated as Fellows. From their inception to the current times, ASG has served the discipline of genealogy by embodying and promoting the highest standards of genealogical scholarship through their publication, The Genealogist, their scholarship awards and their assistance in creating the Board of Certification of Genealogists and the National Institute on Genealogical Research. Click here to learn more about ASG. (3)
ICAPGen℠ 