He conceived the first Conference of Archivists in the United States, which met at Columbia University in conjunction with the American Historical Association's 1909 Annual Meeting. He took this opportunity to introduce Americans to a variety of European concepts that soon became institutionalized as standard best practices in the United States and formed the basis for archival theory. His address at the 1909 conference on "American Archival Problems" remains a classic in the archival literature.
He launched the inaugural Conference of Archivists in the United States, which took place alongside the American Historical Association's 1909 Annual Meeting at Columbia University. He used this occasion to present Americans with European concepts that evolved into standard best practices and became foundational for archival theory. His address on "American Archival Problems" from the 1909 conference is a seminal work in archival literature.