NARA Continues Year-Long 75th Anniversary Celebration in June
Press Release · Monday, May 11, 2009

Washington, DC

Special events, programs, and films celebrate important anniversary

The National Archives continues its 75th Anniversary celebration in June with special lectures, programs, and films. These events are free and open to the public and will be held in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, located on the National Mall at Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets, NW. National Archives summer exhibit hours are 10 am-7 pm, through Labor Day.

Panel discussion: 75 Years: The National Archives from a Community Perspective
Wednesday, June 17, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Many types of researchers take advantage of the vast resources of the National Archives. Our panelists, all experienced researchers, will consider the National Archives of the past and future. Moderated by David McMillen, National Archives Director of External Affairs, panelists include H.W. Brands, professor of history, University of Texas; Margo Anderson, professor of history, University of Wisconsin; Megan Smolenyak, chief family historian for Ancestry.com; Donald Ritchie, associate historian, US Senate Historical Office; and Michael Dobbs, reporter for the Washington Post.

Book Talk:  75th Anniversary Noontime Lecture Series
A Short History of the United States
Wednesday, June 24, at noon, Jefferson Room
Robert Remini, Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives, discusses A Short History of the United States, which vividly contains the essential facts about the discovery, settlement, and growth of the United States along with other themes that have run through our history. This ongoing lecture series features authors whose research significantly reflects the holdings of the National Archives.

Film:  75th Anniversary Noontime Film Series
From the Vaults: Propaganda, Persuasion & Promotion
Friday, June 25, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
From the Vaults: Propaganda, Persuasion & Promotion kicks off the 75th Anniversary Film Series with a selection of films from the holdings of the National Archives originally designed to explain and promote U.S. Government programs and policies. Included will be the New Deal–era promotional short subject The Road Is Open Again (1933), and World War II-era films Who Died? (1944) and Here Is Germany (1945). The Road to the Wall (1962), a look at the rise of communism produced by CBS News for the U.S. Army, will also be shown. (60 minutes) Presented by The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives. Please note—some scenes may be disturbing to younger viewers.

Noontime lectures:  75th Anniversary National Archives Expert Series
Fridays, June 5, 19, 26, at noon, Jefferson Room
Featuring staff experts who will focus on archival treasures discovered among the holdings of the National Archives

• June 5, conservators Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler and Kitty Nicholson will discuss the preservation of the Charters of Freedom.
• June 19, Management and Program Analyst Rick Blondo will present 75 years of stories about the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.
• June 26, Center for Legislative Archives staffers Jessie Kratz, Martha Grove, and Christine Blackerby will discuss the unusual finds they’ve made while researching legislative records.

Background on the 75th Anniversary

Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 19, 1934, the legislation established a National Archives to preserve the permanently valuable papers of the federal government. Today the institution has become a cornerstone of our democracy, making billions of documents created by federal officials available for inspection, thereby holding public officials accountable for their actions. See the 75th anniversary web site for highlights of defining moments in the agency’s history; photo galleries; and notices of special events at National Archives facilities nationwide.

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For more information about programs and activities for the 75th anniversary, contact the National Archives public affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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