Founded in 2000 with an initial gift from Thomas H. Critchlow, the Institute for Political History is organized to promote academic study and scholarly research in the field of American political history and to promote the advancement of our understanding of American political history through grants for research, publications, conferences, workshops, and seminars.

The Institute sponsors a biannual conference of scholars and other activities in the history of American politics and public policy. The Institute also supports the training and research projects of graduate students interested in American political history.  In 2004, the Institute launched an initiative to establish the Hugh Davis Graham Research Fund to provide grants to graduate students and young scholars beginning work in political and policy history, state development, or political institutions in historical perspective.

The Institute is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. The Institute is incorporated in the state of Missouri.

All gifts and contributions to the Institute for Political History are tax deductible.