Press/Journalists

Press Release nr98-90
Press Release · Friday, May 29, 1998

Washington, DC

Press Release
May 29, 1998
Archivist of the United States Names New Executive Director of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission

College Park, MD. . . Archivist of the United States John W. Carlin announced today the appointment of Ann Clifford Newhall as the new Executive Director of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the grant-making arm of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Ms. Newhall will join the NHPRC in mid-July.

In making the announcement, the Archivist, who also chairs the Commission, said, "I am delighted that Ms. Newhall has accepted the position as Executive Director of the NHPRC. Her experience in archives administration including electronic records management, her educational background in American history and current trends in historical research, and her knowledge of Federal and non-Federal grants programs will make her a valuable asset to NARA and the NHPRC. With her leadership, I am confident the Commission will carry out its priorities including: completion of publication of the papers of the Founding Fathers, finding solutions to electronic records problems, and collaboration with state historical records advisory boards to increase the range of records available for scholars, students, and the public. Through its work," Mr. Carlin added, "the NHPRC is protecting a wide range of records, saving the history in electronic records that we are now in danger of losing, and providing the public with access to those particular records that best help us understand the creation of our country and its democratic institutions."

Ms. Newhall comes to the National Archives with more than 20 years of experience in archival administration. She is currently the archivist of the Records and Communications Unit for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland. She is responsible for the administration of archives, records management, internal communications, and reproduction services operations for the UNHCR headquarters and all field office and special operations. From 1993 to 1995, Ms. Newhall was the chief of the Records and Archives Unit for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. Ms. Newhall has also held positions as archivist of the Ford Foundation in New York and as archivist at the Yale University Library in New Haven, CT. While at Yale, Ms. Newhall indexed and assisted in the editing of the Diary of Colonel Edward M. House. She earned a Master of Arts in American Studies from Yale University and a Master of Arts in American History from Southern Connecticut State University and is currently a member of the International Council on Archives.

The National Archives and Records Administration, an independent government agency created in 1934, is the nation's recordkeeper, safeguarding records of all three branches of the Federal government. Its mission is to provide ready access to essential evidence that documents the rights of citizens, the actions of Federal officials, and the national experience. NARA preserves and provides access to such records through a nationwide network of regional records services facilities, Presidential libraries, and archival facilities in the Washington, D.C., area. NARA meets a wide range of information needs, ensuring access to records on which both the credibility of government and the accuracy of history depends.

For additional PRESS information, please contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (301) 837-1700 or by e-mail.

98-90

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