Welcome to the Bill Lane Center for the American West
Dedicated to advancing scholarly and public understanding of the past, present, and future of western North America, the Center supports research, teaching, and reporting about western land and life
What is the Bill Lane Center?
Learn more about the founding of the Bill Lane Center, Stanford University's academic hub for regional study of western land and life.
What is the West?
Our definition of the American West is expansive and takes into account the many dimensions of the region, from those rooted in geography to those rooted in the cultural and literary imagination.
The Bill Lane Center and Stanford University Libraries have acquired the California Historical Society Collection
The Bill Lane Center and Stanford University Libraries have acquired the California Historical Society Collection
The archive contains over 600,000 items dating back to the 18th century, including original artifacts from the Gold Rush and 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.
It will happen here again: Reflecting on the LA fires and what it means for Bay Area fire prevention
It will happen here again: Reflecting on the LA fires and what it means for Bay Area fire prevention
On Jan. 23, we hosted a webinar about what the recent fires in LA mean for Bay Area fire prevention and response. Expert panelists with decades of experience reflected on what the Bay Area can do about the inevitability of wildfires in the coming years.
2024: The Year in Review
2024: The Year in Review
In our 2024 programming, events and research, an inspiring throughline emerged as an unintended but welcome theme for the year: resilience. Happy holidays from the Bill Lane Center for the American West!
Lynda Mapes named 2025 Western Media Fellow
Lynda Mapes named 2025 Western Media Fellow
As our new journalism fellow, Mapes will produce a special report for the Seattle Times: Columbia River at a Crossroads. Mapes has proposed a sweeping journalistic investigation examining the history and possible future of the river as a driver of the West's economy and environment.
David Kennedy, Stanford historian and co-founder of the Lane Center, brings the American West to life in conversation with Michael Krasny
David Kennedy, Stanford historian and co-founder of the Lane Center, brings the American West to life in conversation with Michael Krasny
On Oct. 1, David Kennedy joined Michael Krasny on his podcast "Grey Matter" to discuss the American West. This is the first in a series of four episodes on the West supported by the Bill Lane Center.
Lane Center undergraduates conduct summer research in the arts and sciences to highlight critical issues facing the American West today
Lane Center undergraduates conduct summer research in the arts and sciences to highlight critical issues facing the American West today
During the summer of 2024, in partnership with VPUE, the Lane Center sponsored 21 undergraduate research assistants who worked full-time on projects related to the American West.
Photo by Brandon Kapelow
In a remote Alaskan city with the nation's highest suicide rates, community-based prevention heals
In a remote Alaskan city with the nation's highest suicide rates, community-based prevention heals
Brandon Kapelow, our 2024 western media fellow, reports on NPR's Morning Edition about Alaska Native communities who have partnered with researchers to address suicide prevention by building on community strengths, rather than treating individual risks.
