Donald Lines Jacobus

Who was Donald Lines Jacobus?

Donald Lines Jacobus of New Haven, Connecticut, was widely regarded among genealogists as the dean of American genealogy during his lifetime. He established the New Haven Genealogical Magazine in 1922, which became The American Genealogist ten years later. He served as the periodical's editor and publisher for 43 years until 1966.

Jacobus was a prolific writer. Besides his numerous magazine articles, he is perhaps best known for two publications:

Genealogy as Pastime and Profession, published in 1930.

History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, a three-volume work sponsored by the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter in Fairfield, Connecticut, from 1930 to 1932.

In recognition of his tremendous contributions and elevation of genealogy to the status of a social science, Jacobus was the first person inducted into the National Genealogy Hall of Fame. He was nominated for this honor by the American Society of Genealogists, the Genealogical Society of Utah, and the DuPage County Genealogical Society.

The Donald Lines Jacobus Award was established in 1972 by the American Society of Genealogists to encourage sound scholarship in genealogical writing.