In May 2011, Dominic McDevitt-Parks joined the National Archives as our first Wikipedian-In-Residence. This put the National Archives at the forefront of many cultural institutions in partnering with the Wikimedia community. Working for the National Archives as a part-time student intern, our Wikipedian led ground-breaking efforts for the agency. His automated-upload project provided 100,000 digital … Continue reading Breaking New Ground Again
October is American Archives month, a time to raise awareness about the value of archives and archivists and to celebrate that work. One of the ways we are participating this year will be to discuss the work of the Archivist of the United States. As a kickoff to American Archives Month, I invite you to … Continue reading Hanging Out for American Archives Month
Robert D.W. Connor, the President of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and recently retired first Archivist of the United States, in his address to the Society at their annual meeting in 1942 read a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt who had been awarded an honorary membership in the organization. He called for “...the … Continue reading FDR’s BHAG
Emery “Joe” Hollerer was my high school English teacher and on Friday night at the 50th Reunion of the Beverly (MA) Class of 1963 we all had a chance to thank him for the role he has played in shaping our lives. Emery “Joe” Hollerer and David Ferriero My own love of literature and reading … Continue reading Thanks, Mr. Hollerer
The National Archives has many fascinating records documenting our history. Some of the most fascinating are contained in our Pension Files documenting veterans’ claims, or claims from their families, for benefits starting with the Revolutionary War. For a wife or parent to qualify for benefits on behalf of the deceased soldier they needed to supply … Continue reading The Family Bible
The National Archives, in collaboration with the Government Printing Office, publishes the Federal Register, a daily compilation of notices of public meetings, legislative hearings, grant and funding opportunities, and announcements of public interest. In addition, it publishes proposed regulations and provides information about how to comment on these proposals—a very manual process. On its 75th … Continue reading Happy Anniversary, Federal Register 2.0!
This is the birthday of Waldo Gifford Leland, born this day in 1879 in Newton, Massachusetts. He was a historian with careers at the Carnegie Institution and the Library of Congress, and played an important role in the creation of the National Archives. Leland’s portrait hangs among those of the previous Archivists of the United … Continue reading Happy Birthday Waldo!
In 1776 when John Adams was envisioning future celebrations of the Declaration of Independence he said: “It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End … Continue reading Happy Fourth of July!
On the last day of June of 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt stood at the entrance to his library in Hyde Park, New York—the first of the Presidential Libraries—and dedicated it to the American people with these words: “It seems to me that the dedication of a library is in itself an act of faith. To … Continue reading A New Deal for a New Generation
Yesterday the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences released their report—The Heart of the Matter: The Humanities and Social Sciences for a Vibrant, Competitive, and Secure Nation. The report is the response to a bipartisan request from members of Congress: “What are the top actions that Congress, state governments, … Continue reading The Heart of the Matter
