Virtual Programs Newsletter
Issue #14, September 29, 2020
A Message from the Archivist of the United States
Coming up in October, the National Archives hosts its first Virtual Pajama Party. This online event, for children aged 8–12 and their families, will focus on Jackie Robinson's baseball career and commitment to civil rights activism. Staff have also prepared a variety of collections, exhibits, and resources with which people can engage from home as they continue to work and learn remotely.
This week, you can see more than 11,000 images of wildlife from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, get the answer to our Question of the Week, or preview the new design of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. You may also want to learn how Navy Nurse Corps records may aid your family research, or watch a 2017 program on Women in the Supreme Court.
Thank you for your continued support of the National Archives. Please stay safe.
Archives from Home: Tag, Transcribe, Share
Even though our research rooms, museums, and Presidential Libraries remain closed due to the ongoing health crisis, many of our resources are available online. Our staff put together a selection of activities accessible from home.
Citizen Archivist Missions
Award Cards, 1942–63
Help us transcribe this large series of index cards for awards that include the Purple Heart, Air Medal Decoration, Commendation Medal, Distinguished Service Cross, and Distinguished Flying Cross. Information included consists of name, service number, rank, general order number, order date and issuing organization, award type, and more.
Research Family History
During war and peacetime, military nurses tended to the medical needs of the United States Armed Forces stateside, overseas, and on the front lines.
This presentation provides information about our Navy Nurse Corps and Army Nurse Corps records, which contain genealogy-rich information including place and date of birth, photographs, handwritten letters and typed correspondence to friends and families, awards and citations earned, job duties, facts pertaining to deaths in service, beneficiaries, and more.
Image: World War II poster recruiting nurses for service in the Army Nurse Corps (NAID 513647), RG 44
From the Catalog
Travel into the wild with photographs from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center. This series of more than 11,000 photographs from the National Digital Library, ca. 1998–2011 (22-DP) is now fully digitized and available to view in the Catalog.
Question of the Week
“Seeking Pictures of Puerto Rican Soldiers from the Korean War. I was overjoyed to see a picture of my father in a collection of photographs of Puerto Rican soldiers from the Korean Conflict. How can I find it again?”Learn more about the contributions of Puerto Rican and Hispanic veterans, and see the answer to our Question of the Week on History Hub, our crowdsourced platform for history and genealogical research where anyone can ask questions and get answers from archivists and other community members.
Featured Exhibit
World War II, the bloodiest conflict in history, came to an end on September 2, 1945, on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay six years and one day after the war erupted in Europe. View Japan’s formal surrender documents, which brought the war to its final conclusion online in the National Archives’ Featured Document display Victory in Japan: 75th Anniversary of the End of WWII.
Virtual Pajama Party
This online event for kids aged 8–12 and their families will focus on Jackie Robinson's baseball career and his commitment to civil rights activism, featuring a special appearance by author Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie and Rachel Robinson. Participants will read The Hero Two Doors Down, learn about historical documents in the National Archives, create their own artwork, and participate in fun activities.
Register here.
Public Programs
From October, 5, 2017, here is "Women in the Supreme Court," a panel discussion that explored the legacy of the four women who have served on and the 726 women who have argued before the United States Supreme Court.
Research Services
The World War I Portal in the Black History Guide highlights records of Federal agencies and collections that relate to Black life during the World War I era. The selected records contain information on topics including work, military involvement, arts and intellectuals, racial violence, and the Great Migration. For more information, read Rediscovering Black History.
Image: NY’s Black Regiment Leaves for Training Camp (NAID 45503132).
Featured Presidential Library
The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum is nearing completion on an extensive renovation of its museum exhibits. Preview the new museum design on the library's YouTube channel. And while you are there, check out the hundreds of new videos posted in the last six months, including the first-ever televised inauguration. Also, Truman Library educators have been hard at work crafting programs for students learning virtually, which you can find on the Truman Library's YouTube education playlist.
To keep up with the progress of the renovation and other developments, refer to the Truman Library website, and follow the library on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
MoPix Video Selection
In September 1954, construction began on the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, VA, and was dedicated in November of that year by President Eisenhower. The film Uncommon Valor is from a series of Marine Corps films distributed by the U.S. Navy, and tells the story of the creation of the Memorial. Read more about the film and the Memorial in the Unwritten Record blog.
Visit the Online Store
The Presidential collection from the National Archives Store honors the leaders of our nation with fun, unique products and gifts for history lovers on both sides of the aisle. From books to jewelry, you can show off your favorite President at home.
Shop today!