The Mariological Society of America is a Catholic theological association dedicated to studying and making known the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of Christ and in the Church and in the history of salvation. Through its annual meetings and in its publications, the Society seeks to promote comprehensive and integrated study of the person and the role of the Virgin Mary so as to foster a well-informed and theologically sound devotion and spirituality.

The Mariological Society of America was founded by Fr. Juniper B. Carol, O.F.M., in October 1949. The charter members gathered for the first meeting in Washington, D.C., in January 1950. Since that time, the MSA has met annually in various cities throughout the United States. In 1954, the Society was recognized as a corporation “organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes.” Listed in the Official Catholic Directory as one of the national organizations of the United States Catholic Conference, it is recognized as a tax-exempt organization. Since 1979, the office of the executive secretary of the MSA has been located at the Marian Library of the University of Dayton.

Gloria Dodd, STD, Promotion Committee Councilor on the MSA Administrative Council, will accept the award on behalf of the MSA at the CLA 2020 Spring Virtual Conference. Gloria is originally from Washington, D.C., and grew up as a bibliophile. Her mother had such a wonderful library of Catholic books that all of the walls of her family's living and dining rooms had bookshelves where the books were cataloged by her! She worked at the library of Christendom College as well as the library of the Dominican House of Studies, which helped her to get my current job where she answers research questions on a regular basis.