While there have been archives in the Diocese of New Jersey from the days of our first bishops, the beginning of a formal plan and staff for such an endeavor began with the efforts of the Rev. Canon Laurence D. Fish. Canon Fish had worked alongside the Rev. David R. King, who famously wrote and published the history of the diocese for the U.S. bicentennial in 1985.
Files and other memorabilia were collected and stored in the basement 808 West State St. in far less than ideal conditions. Eventually, part of the Matthews Conference Center was established to better store archival materials, especially those particularly susceptible to the vagaries of humidity and temperature.
Canon Fish brought to the position a strong sense of the church’s and diocese’s history, a vacuum-cleaner like ability to acquire important new materials, and a graceful and clear writing style that gave freshness and life to the stories of the past.