In early October President Obama signed an Executive Order (EO) covering “Structural Reforms to Improve the Security of Classified Networks and the Responsible Sharing and Safeguarding of Classified Information.” The National Archives Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) is the Government entity charged with overseeing Executive Branch performance in executing the President’s program for classified information. … Continue reading Post Wikileaks
Category: Miscellaneous
Guastavino Vaulting
I have been fortunate to work in four institutions where the Guastavino family played a role in the construction of my buildings—first at MIT, then my library at Duke, one of my branches of the New York Public Library, and now the National Archives. Rafael Guastavino immigrated to the United States from Spain in the … Continue reading Guastavino Vaulting
Mens et Manus: Reaching for the Future
On Sunday, I was honored to provide the keynote address for the Next Century Convocation at MIT, the institution which launched my career and shaped my worldview. I shared my thoughts on MIT’s striking founding vision and how pervasive its influence has been over the last 150 years, even in unexpected places. MIT's motto is … Continue reading Mens et Manus: Reaching for the Future
The National Archives Through Children’s Eyes
A few months ago, I received 15 handcrafted thank you notes from a group of school children who had visited with their parents and teachers from the Saltonstall School in Salem, Massachusetts. I had the opportunity to answer their questions before their tour of the National Archives. My favorite question was from a young boy … Continue reading The National Archives Through Children’s Eyes
The Impact of Theft
While I was the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries, E. Forbes Smiley III stole more than 70 maps from our Map Division and Rare Books division. Only 33 of the maps were ever recovered. Mr. Smiley was a rare map dealer, and a trusted friend of the New York Public … Continue reading The Impact of Theft
The Grace Tully Collection of FDR Papers
Yesterday I welcomed members of Congress to the National Archives to celebrate the donation of the Grace Tully Collection. After almost 30 years of effort, the National Archives and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library have obtained the papers that Grace Tully collected and maintained during her time as secretary of Franklin D. Roosevelt. My … Continue reading The Grace Tully Collection of FDR Papers
My Top Ten YouTube Videos
Since June 2009, the National Archives has made videos available on its YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usnationalarchives. We now have 292 videos available, which have been viewed over 160,000 times. Most videos are from our archival collections, including some from Presidential Libraries. Other videos represent current lectures and educational events. I hope you take some time … Continue reading My Top Ten YouTube Videos
Processing the Presidential Records of Elena Kagan
The quantity, breadth, complexity, and relevancy of our records are never more apparent than when the National Archives and Records Administration and the Presidential Libraries are called upon to process and make available the Presidential records of Supreme Court nominees. As the stewards of Presidential records, we take pride in this responsibility and recognize that … Continue reading Processing the Presidential Records of Elena Kagan
Huzzah! Aboard the U.S.S. Constitution
Last Friday, I stepped aboard the U.S.S. Constitution in the Charlestown Navy Yard of Boston Harbor. I joined Commander Timothy M. Cooper, his crew, and 150 members of the Wounded Warrior Project for an underway commemoration of the Battle of Midway. The ship honored injured service members from Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and … Continue reading Huzzah! Aboard the U.S.S. Constitution
Stars and Heroes Shine in our Military Personnel Records
The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis is the nation's depository for military personnel records. Within these records are the files of "Persons of Exceptional Prominence" including: Spiro Agnew, Desi Arnaz, Beatrice Arthur, Joe Louis, Humphrey Bogart, John William Coltrane, John Foster Dulles, Marvin Gaye, Theodore S. Geisel (AKA "Dr. Seuss"), Charles A. Lindbergh, … Continue reading Stars and Heroes Shine in our Military Personnel Records