The Academy of American Studies was developed by way of a collaborative effort between the Gilder Lehrman Institute and the Queens High School superintendent. This school is the first Gilder Lehrman sponsored history school in the United States; thus, it is the Flagship School of the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Academy of American Studies' founding principal was Mr. Michael Serber, who assumed a post at the Gilder Lehrman Institute after his tenure. He was succeeded by the late Mrs. Ellen Sherman until her retirement. Initially, the school functioned out of the fourth floor of the abandoned Long island City High School building. An additional building across the street, which is rented, exists solely for students and faculty of the Academy.