CHICAGO—John (Jac) Treanor, Vice Chancellor for Archives and Records Management for the Archdiocese of Chicago , was named a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists on August 19, 2005, during SAA’s 69 th Annual Meeting in New Orleans at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Established in 1957 and conferred annually, the distinction of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archival profession. Treanor joins 153 current members so honored out of a membership of 4,200.

Treanor began his career in Boston in its archdiocesan archives after receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of Massachusetts. Following two years at the Massachusetts State Archives, Treanor joined the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1986 and built its archives into a model repository that has influenced Catholic archives around the world. He has taken modern archival practice, reinforced it through records management, and demonstrated how information technology can both enable and incorporate these professional streams. He has done this while persuading dioceses and religious orders that archives are both canonically necessary and extraordinarily valuable. And, in the midst of modern American Catholicism’s stormiest era, when shutting the doors to the world might seem the easiest path, Treanor has campaigned for transparency and openness for the archival record.

Treanor is among a small number of archivists who have found the means to integrate archives and records management, and he has implemented an electronic records program. He has been instrumental in technology planning and policy and he helped re-engineer the archdiocese-wide IT infrastructure. One of Treanor’s nominators noted that his “knowledge of technology and how to apply it to solve business problems continues to be a significant asset” for the archdiocese.

Not only has Treanor created a model program, but his leadership efforts have reached around the world. He has lobbied chancellors and bishops to promote archival programs. He helped create the Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists and has held all its offices. He created biennial conferences where diocesan archivists meet leading professionals and researchers. The publications he edited from these conferences both unify practice and advocate for the scholarly use of the records.

In addition, Treanor’s commitment to education extends to frequent presentations in venues ranging from local to international. He has served a variety of organizations well in program development, he’s fostered communication and shared effort between the archival and records management professions, and he’s a mentor to both his own staff and his colleagues in the greater archival community.