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A Center for Excellence in Family History Programming

The Brue Family Learning Center is dedicated to introducing family and local history to national and international audiences. Founded by Nord and Suzanne Brue, the Center supports the creation of programming aimed at helping anyone start or advance their family history journey. 

Located on Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay, American Ancestors, founded as the New England Historic Genealogical Society, is the nation’s oldest and largest genealogical society. The Brue Family Learning Center is part of a capital expansion project to introduce family and local history to wider audiences.

Philanthropic leadership from the Brue Family also supports the creation of unique program content for American Ancestors' online education offerings. 

Image of the Brue Family Learning Center
I felt like I had hit a wall in my research and your class showed me the door to continue. Thank you so much! I appreciate it more than words can express.
Jean L.

Founders Suzanne and Nordahl Brue

In 2019, Bruegger’s Bagels co-founder Nordahl Brue and his wife Suzanne Brue gave $1.5 million to American Ancestors to endow a family history learning center to help anyone learn more about their ancestry. 

The Brue Family Learning Center produces hundreds of family history programs each year, which reach many thousands of people around the world.

 

Suzanne and Nord Brue

Upcoming Lectures

Lecture
Online
Paid

Castle Howard & Chatsworth: The Story of Two of England’s Finest Houses

Nothing can quite compare to this Derbyshire palace that has repeatedly been voted the public’s favorite historic house. Architectural historian Clive Aslet summed it up perfectly when he said that Chatsworth “occupies its position as the country house that all other country houses aspire to be like…”

 

With Curt DiCamillo
September 18, 2026

Art & Architecture

Lecture
Online
Free

Travel with American Ancestors in the Year Ahead!

In this webinar, we’ll discuss our upcoming research tours for the year ahead to locations including Indiana, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Nova Scotia, Salt Lake City, and American Ancestors' own Brim-DeForest library in Boston!

September 29, 2026

The Brue Family Learning Center

Lecture
Online
Paid

Organizing Your Research

In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will offer tips on how to make a research plan and stick to it! Using templates, worksheets, and other research tools available at AmericanAncestors.org, you’ll learn how to stay organized and get the most out of your research time.

October 6, 2026

The Brue Family Learning Center

Lecture
Online
Free

Applying to Colonial Lineage Societies

Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will provide an overview of colonial lineage societies—such as the General Society of Colonial Wars, Colonial Dames of America, and Order of Founders and Patriots of America. He will discuss how to identify appropriate qualifying ancestors, evaluate evidence, and build a well-supported application.

October 8, 2026

The Brue Family Learning Center

Lecture
Online
Free

Creating Winterthur: The Museum, Garden & Library

Henry Francis du Pont (1880–1969) is famous for his premier collection of American decorative arts and the creation of the museum at Winterthur, his beautiful country estate in Delaware, but how did it all come about? This lecture explores how Mr. du Pont formed his first American collection at Chestertown House, his summer residence in Southhampton, New York, and then how, a few years later, he transformed Winterthur into an enormous house filled with an exceptionally important collection of historic art and architecture.

 

October 9, 2026

Art & Architecture