Making a Family Tree

The National Archives will host its fourth annual Genealogy Fair. This year’s program will highlight Federal records located at the National Archives relating to general genealogy, World War I, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Sessions will offer guidance on topics including Civil War pension files, Freedmen’s Bureau marriage records, World War I draft registration records, and New Deal publications. National Archives staff will demonstrate how to use databases including the Archival Research Catalog (ARC) and Access to Archival Databases (AAD). The fair will provide information and guidance for experienced genealogy professionals and novices alike. This event is free and open to the public. For a schedule of lectures and demonstrations.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Research Center Lobby, National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C.

WHO: Speakers include historian at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Marian Smith, author Raff Ellis (Kisses from a Distance: An Immigrant Family Experience) and National Archives experts Susan Abbott, Bill Creech, John Deeben, Kenneth Heger, Claire Kluskens, Constance Potter, and Reginald Washington.

BACKGROUND: The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the Federal government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, census and Freedmen’s Bureau materials. For information on National Archives holdings see www.archives.gov.

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(The update below was received from the National Archives last week. I won’t be able to make it but if you’re in the DC area… this is quite an opportunity.)

Exclusive Press Preview of Magna Carta Before It Returns to Display at the National Archives

WHAT: One time only opportunity for the media to photograph/videotape 1297 Magna Carta outside its exhibition display case and talk to its new owner. The document, however, remains sealed in its protective environmental encasement. It will return to public display in the West Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, on March 12, 2008.

WHO: Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States David Rubenstein, who recently purchased Magna Carta Terry Boone, National Archives exhibits conservator

WHEN: Monday, March 3. Remarks begin at 1 p.m. availability ends at 2 p.m.

WHERE: National Archives Building Conservation Lab 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (Use Pennsylvania Avenue entrance)

PLEASE NOTE: NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHT MAY BE USED.

BACKGROUND:
In 1215 on the plains of Runnymede an assembly of barons confronted the despotic King John of England and demanded that traditional rights be recognized, written down, confirmed with the royal seal, and sent to each of the counties to be read to all freemen. King John agreed, binding himself and his heirs to grant “to all freemen of our kingdom” the rights and liberties described in the great charter, or Magna Carta.

Between 1215 and 1297, Magna Carta was reissued by each of King John’s successors. To meet his debts from foreign wars, King Edward I imposed new and harsher taxes in 1297. This provoked another confrontation between the king and the barons, resulting not only in the reissue of Magna Carta, but for the first time its entry into the official Statute Rolls of England. The 1297 document on display represents the transition of Magna Carta from a brokered agreement to the foundation of English law.

Only four originals of the 1297 Magna Carta remain. By the 17th century, the one shown here was in the possession of the Brudenell family, the earls of Cardigan. It was acquired by the Perot Foundation in 1984 and purchased by David M. Rubenstein in 2007. David Rubenstein has placed Magna Carta on loan to the National Archives as a gift to the American people. It is the only Magna Carta permanently residing in the United States.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2008Noontime Programs at the National Archives in April 2008

Washington, DC. . . The National Archives will present three noontime programs in April on records preservation, presidential speechwriting, and memorials to Abraham Lincoln. These events are free and open to the public and will be held in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, which is located on the National Mall at Constitution Ave. and 7th Street, NW. The building is fully accessible.

Preserving America’s History at the National Archives Wednesday, April 9, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater Doris Hamburg, the National Archives Director of Preservation Programs, explores how the National Archives preserves and protects the more than 12 million permanently valuable Federal documents and artifacts it holds. Co-sponsored by the National Archives Assembly.

White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters Wednesday, April 16, at noon, Jefferson Room Writer Robert Schlesinger, son of famed historian and JFK speechwriter Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., discusses White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters, the first book to offer intimate comparative portraits of all our modern Presidents and the men and women who helped shape their public record. Drawing on interviews with current and former speechwriters and on archival research, Schlesinger reveals how the crucial relationships between Presidents and their speechwriters can make or break a presidency. A book signing will follow the program.

Summers with Lincoln: Looking for the Man in the Monuments Thursday, April 17, at noon, Jefferson Room Local author and educator James A. Percoco examines many of the nearly 200 memorials erected in memory of Abraham Lincoln-part of a quest to learn what these monuments meant when they were unveiled, what they mean to the nation today, and what they mean to him. His book is the first in 50 years to explore Lincoln sculpture in the context of post-civil rights America. Summers with Lincoln gives a tantalizing new look at Abraham Lincoln, encouraging the reader to question assumptions about Lincoln, civic commemoration, American civil religion, collective memory, and mythology.

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(Looks like a two-fer from the National Archives. Another Press Release…)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN FEBRUARY

Washington, DC . . . The National Archives will celebrate Black History Month birthday in February with special films, public programs, lectures and films. These programs are open to the public and will be held at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. All events are free, unless otherwise noted.

Please note: The National Archives Building is located on Constitution Ave. between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC. The National Archives at College Park, MD is located at 8601 Adelphi Road. Both locations are fully accessible. For directions, see: http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro.

Banneker Monument Unveiling and Panel Discussion Friday, February 15, at 7 P.M., William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Building The Center for the National Archives Experience, in partnership with the Washington Interdependence Council, will host the unveiling of the prototype of the Benjamin Banneker Memorial, a monument to the 18th century African American mathematician, astronomer, clockmaker, and publisher. The monument is planned as part of the L’Enfant Plaza/Banneker Overlook Park promenade in Southwest DC. The program will include a panel discussion exploring Banneker’s impact on history. Moderated by actor and activist Clayton LeBouef, the panel will include Kevin Marvel, executive officer of the American Astronomical Society, and Michael Eric Dyson, author and professor at Georgetown University. Tina Allen, celebrated California sculptor and Artist of Record for the Banneker Memorial, will share her interpretation of the subject and unveil the prototype, and poet Ty Gray-El will perform a poetic tribute to Banneker.

RELATED NATIONAL ARCHIVES “KNOW YOUR RECORDS” PROGRAMS

What’s New in the Archival Research Catalog (ARC)?
Wednesday, February 20, at 11:30 A.M., Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue) Archives specialist Jill Reilly James will review general records of genealogical interest described in ARC and will present new ARC descriptions of and web pages related to African American history. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, February 21, at 11 a.m.)

Using Federal Records for African American Genealogical Research
Saturday, February 23, 10:15 A.M.-1:30 P.M., National Archives Building
Jefferson Room Archivist Reginald Washington will discuss using census records, military service and pension files, Freedmen’s Bureau records, and other Federal records for African American genealogical research. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333.

FILM - EYES ON THE PRIZE
February 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, at noon National Archives Building, William G. McGowan Theater On Tuesdays and Fridays throughout February, The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives and the National Archives Afro-American History Society will show this landmark 14-part PBS series, which first aired in 1987. Produced by Blackside, Eyes on the Prize tells the definitive story of the civil rights movement from the point of view of the ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions changed the fabric of American life. Each showing is 60 minutes.

Two Societies (1965-68)
Friday, February 1, at noon Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership onference come north to help Chicago’s civil rights leaders in their nonviolent struggle against segregated housing.

Power! (1966-68)
Tuesday, February 5, at noon The call for Black Power takes various forms across communities in lack America.

The Promised Land (1967-68)
Friday, February 8, at noon In the midst of political organizing, Martin Luther King detours to support striking sanitation workers in Memphis, where he is assassinated.

Ain’t Gonna Shuffle No More (1964-72)
Tuesday, Febraury 12, at noon A call to pride and a renewed push for unity galvanize black America.

A Nation of Law? (1968-71)
Friday, February 15, at noon Black activism is increasingly met with a violent and unethical response from local and Federal law enforcement agencies.

The Keys to the Kingdom (1974-80)
Tuesday, February 19, at noon In the 1970s, legal rights gained by the civil rights movement are put to the test. In Boston, some whites violently resist a Federal court school desegregation order.

Back to the Movement (1979-mid 1980s)
Friday, February 22, at noon Power and powerlessness: Miami’s black community-pummeled by urban renewal, a lack of jobs, and police harassment-explodes in rioting.

To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program, please email public.program@nara.gov or call (202) 357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event. To verify the date and times of the programs, see the Calendar of Events on the web at: http://www.archives.gov/calendar/.

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(Just received from National Archives Press List…)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES MARKS WORLD WAR I VETERAN’S 107TH BIRTHDAY
Archivists present last living American WWI veteran with a copy of his military file

WASHINGTON, DC* The National Archives celebrated the 107th birthday of the nation’s last living World War I veteran, Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles, this week.  To honor Mr. Buckles — and by extension all of the men and women who served — National Archives archivists Mitch Yockelson and Richard Boylan visited with Mr. Buckles at his home in West Virginia and presented him with a copy of his military service record.

Frank Woodruff Buckles was born in Harrison County, Missouri, on February 1, 1901.  He enlisted in the US Army in 1917, at the age of 16 (he said he was 18).  During the war, he was stationed in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France.   He served as an ambulance driver, and after the Armistice was signed in 1918, he escorted prisoners of war back to Germany.  Following the war, he was stationed in Germany, and he was discharged from service in 1920 having achieved the rank of corporal.

In the Second World War, Mr. Buckles was a civilian working for the White Star steamship line and was in Manila on business in December 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  He was captured by the Japanese and spent over three years as a POW at the city’s University of Santo Tomas.

The archivists located records relating to much of Mr. Buckles’ service in Europe.  The National Archives photo lab then scanned and made prints of nearly three dozen documents that comprise his military file.  His file includes his troop ship manifest, personnel rosters, and a history of Base Hospital 35 in Winchester, England, where Mr. Buckles spent part of his military career as a driver.

More than 4,700,000 men and women served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I.  Of that number, roughly 2,000,000 served on foreign soil.  Today, Mr. Buckles is the only living veteran.  Ninety years after the end of World War I, Mr. Buckles recalled his service and said he was honored to be “the last known American veteran.”  He pondered how World War I will be remembered when there are no surviving veterans.

Background
Among the vast holdings of the National Archives are the official historical records relating to the American participation during World War I.  Such records are housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC, College Park, Maryland, and the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Among the holdings are several million pages of unit files and personnel records, and close to a million maps, photographs, motion pictures and posters.  For information, see Archivist Mitch Yockelson’s article entitled:  ”They Answered the Call:  Military Service in the United States Army during World War I, 1917-1919″ at:

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/fall/military-service-in-world-war-one.html

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Washington, DC. . . In March, the National Archives will feature a series of programs highlighting records from its holdings.  All programs are free and open to the public (unless otherwise noted) and will be held in the National Archives Building and at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland

The National Archives Building is located on Constitution Avenue, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC.  Visitors to all programs in the National Archives Building should use the Constitution Avenue entrance, except for programs in the Research Center.  For Research Center programs, the public should the Pennsylvania Avenue
entrance, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW.  The National Archives at College Park, MD is located at 8601 Adelphi Road.  For directions to both locations, see:  http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro.

But Grandma Never Carried a Gun
Locating Women Using Records Created by the Military Friday, March 7, 10:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Jefferson Room, National Archives Building Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL, will provide an overview of records created by the military which will help researchers locate information on the women who were the mothers, wives and sisters of soldiers. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333.

Effective Internet Genealogy Searching
Wednesday, March 12, 10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Washington Room, National Archives Building Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, will provide instruction on how to search the Internet when conducting research.  Participants will learn ways to creatively and effectively search the Internet for hidden tidbits to help them progress in their family history research. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check(payable to NATF) at the door.  Call 202-357-5333.

Beginning Your Irish Genealogy Research in US Sources
Friday, March 14, 10:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Jefferson Room, National Archives Building Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, will cover the basics of finding the origin of Irish ancestors using resources available in the United States.  She will share strategies for using passenger lists, immigration records, military records, census records, city directories, and other original sources of value in tracking down the origin of Irishimmigrants.  Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333

Footnotes
Tuesday, March 4, 10:00 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives BuildingResearch Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance National Archives Librarian Jeffery Hartley will discuss how the National Archives and Footnote.com are working as partners to bring unprecedented access to selections of the vast holdings of the NationalArchives.  He will focus on what is currently available and how to access and use Footnote.com.  (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, March 6, at 10 a.m.)

Civil War Records at Footnote.com
Tuesday, March 4, 11:00 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives BuildingResearch Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entranceBeau Sharbrough, Vice President of Content for Footnote.com, willdiscuss Civil War records at Footnote.com.  (This lecture will berepeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture RoomB, on Thursday, March 6, at 11 a.m.)

Irish History
Thursday, March 13, 11 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives BuildingResearch CenterPlease use the Pennsylvania Ave. entranceFintan Mullan, Executive Director of the Ulster Historical Foundationin Belfast, will discuss Irish records and Irish migration to America.

Researching Electronic Records via the Access to Archival Databases (AAD)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 11 a.m., Room G-24, National ArchivesBuilding Research CenterPlease use the Pennsylvania Ave. entranceArchives Specialist Lynn Goodsell will offer an introduction toelectronic (”digitally-born”) records of interest to genealogists andhow to access the records online via the Access to Archival Databases(AAD) resource.  (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archivesat College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, March 20, at11a.m.)

From the Records Book Group
Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 11 a.m. and noon, Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center  - Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance Following a lecture at 11 a.m. on records relating to Gettysburg, the Book Group will discuss These Honored Dead:  How the Story of GettysburgShaped American Memory, by Thomas A. Desjardin.  Please check theArchives Shop (202-357-5271) for book availability and a specialdiscount for participants.  NOTE:  April’s book selection is All YouNeed is Love: the Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s, by ElizabethCobbs Hoffman

SAVE THE DATE!
National Archives Genealogy Fair The National Archives’ annual Genealogy Fair will take place Wednesday, April 23, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., in the National Archives Building Research Center.  This event is free and open to the public.

Both Archives facilities are fully accessible.  To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program, please email public.program@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event.  To verify the date and times of the programs, the public should call 202-357-5333, or view the Calendar of Events on the web at: http://www.archives.gov/calendar.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2008
National Archives Announces Extended Research Room Hours

Washington, DC. . . Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein announced today that the National Archives will restore its evening and weekend hours in its Washington, DC and College Park, MD, research rooms. Effective the week of April 14, 2008, the extended hours will be 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Saturday. Hours on Monday and Tuesday will continue to be 9 A.M to 5 P.M.

Congress and the President provided a one-time appropriation of $1.3 million in the National Archives Fiscal Year 2008 budget to restore these hours. The funds will be used to hire new archival research room staff and to cover the costs of utilities, maintenance, and security during the extended hours.

“I am very grateful to the Congress and the President for their recognition of the importance of making our documentary heritage as widely available as possible. Extending the research room hours goes a long way in helping us attain this goal.

This increase in hours underlines our commitment to open government,” the Archivist said in making the announcement. “I would also like to acknowledge the enthusiastic support of our user communities,” he added.

Research room hours at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC and at the College Park facility were reduced in October 2006 as a cost-savings measure. Since then, the National Archives has had extended hours only once a month on Thursday and Friday evenings and on Saturdays. Prior to October 2006, the National Archives extended hours were Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The change from Tuesday to Wednesday evening late hours was implemented to make it more convenient and cost-effective for out-of-town researchers who travel to the National Archives for research.

* * *

For more information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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Congress has approved the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) plan to build a new 525,000-square-foot facility in St. Louis for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

GSA announced plans in June 2007 to build a facility for NARA’s National Personnel Records Center on 23.5 acres it bought at 1829 Dunn Road. NARA’s National Personnel Records Center is one of the agency’s largest operations with a central repository of personnel-related records for both military and civil service employees, including military personnel files of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Elvis Presley, Ted Williams and former Presidents George H.W. Bush and John F. Kennedy, among many other notables.

GSA is in the process of selecting a developer…

Read the full story at www.bizjournals.com

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