At its second annual meeting in Saratoga in 1885, the newly appointed Committee on Nominations for Honorary Membership introduced a resolution, which was adopted, that appointed Leopold von Ranke as the first honorary foreign member. In the intervening 113 years, only eighty-five individuals have been so honored. Previously selected biennially, selection is now made in annually honoring a foreign scholar who is distinguished in his or her field and who has "notably aided the work of American historians."

          President-elect Darnton announced the addition of Manuel R. Moreno Fraginals of Cuba, and read the following citation:. "Manuel Moreno has been Cuba's most influential and outstanding historian during the last four decades. He has made many distinguished scholarly contributions relating to Cuban history, particularly the history of Cuban sugar and slavery. He has been a most generous scholar in helping foreign historians work in and about Cuba, under what can only be described as sometimes difficult conditions. This has included scholarly help with questions as well as arrangements for access to archives within Cuba. His works on Cuban slavery, particularly El Ingenio, have been the central works on Cuba drawn upon by U.S. scholars in their comparative studies of slavery in America. Much of the current views on sugar and slavery in Cuba have been shaped by Dr. Moreno's writings and by scholarly interactions with him. Dr. Moreno's major work, El Ingenio, first published in 1964, has been translated into several different languages including English (as The Sugarmill), for which he received the AHA's Clarence Haring Prize for the best book in Latin-American history in 1982. A three-volume edition, currently available only in Spanish, was published in 1977.

          "One measure of Dr. Moreno's value to the profession is the frequency with which scholars in other countries seek him out, and find him helpful. He has received appointments at U.S. institutions, traveled extensively throughout this country, and has worked collaboratively with American scholars. His relationship with American historians goes well beyond these visits and collaborative projects however. Virtually every American scholar who has conducted research on Cuba has benefited from his work. He has also lent his support, advice and friendship to many American scholars of Cuban history. It was through Dr. Moreno that many young historians in Cuba "discovered" the studies of slavery, plantation societies, and abolition that were being conducted in the United States and to which American scholars had no access. In supporting Dr. Moreno's nomination, colleagues state that he "was a silent ambassador for American historians" to Cuba. And that "despite the uncontrollable circumstances that forced him several times into unwelcome exile, he continued to research thoroughly and to write actively and to inspire his fellow scholars all with uncommon devotion and impeccable excellence." Another said "Whatever we have achieved, we owe it largely to him."

          "The American Historical Association is honored to acknowledge Manuel Moreno Fraginal's role in the international community of historians by selecting him as the Honorary Foreign Member for 1998."

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