American Archives Month Employee Spotlights - Stacy Davis
Name: Stacy Davis
Job Title: Archivist at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
How long have you worked at the National Archives?
I started working for the National Archives in 1994 with the Office of Presidential Libraries in Washington, DC. I then moved to the Still Pictures Branch in College Park, MD, for several years. I briefly left NARA but was able to return as an archivist at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in 2003. I have been here ever since!
What made you interested in being an archivist? Why did you want to work at your Presidential Library in particular?
This is a great question. I found archives and Presidential Libraries completely by accident. During my last semester of college, I happened to learn about an internship at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. I applied and was able to get a position in their audiovisual department. It was my first experience in working hands-on in an archive, and I was hooked! I was particularly interested in working at the Ford Library because it combined interest in working for the National Archives, Presidential history, and being close to my family in Michigan.
Give us an overview of your job. What are some of your responsibilities?
I am the Ford Library’s lead textual archivist, and my primary responsibilities include reference, holdings protection, preservation, accessioning new material, managing the library's systematic digitization program, and being the point of contact for the library’s participation in the National Archives Catalog. My other duties include shifts in the research room, providing research support to our colleagues at the museum, access review, supervising volunteers, enhancing description and website content development, giving tours, and helping with public programs.
What’s the strangest thing that’s happened to you in this line of work? What’s the best?
One of my best moments occurred in 2018 after a member of the public reached out to me and asked about a photograph of her mother, Maria, that was listed on our website. As it turns out, Congressman Gerald Ford introduced special legislation in Congress that would allow then-teenaged Maria to immigrate to the United States and reunite with her sisters, aunt, and uncle. She had turned 14 before necessary travel documents were issued by the Polish government, and she could not travel with her sisters as an eligible orphan under the Immigration Act of 1957. Maria and her daughter were not aware of the legislation and Congressman Ford’s involvement, and I arranged for them to make a research visit. It was a very moving experience to share the documents and photos with them and is an honor for me to be able to preserve this piece of her family and American history.
One strange thing that happened early in my career is that I saw “Socks,” the Clinton family cat, on a walk in the hallway of the Old Executive Office Building at the White House when I was there to pick up some records.
Another time I was inventorying a collection and found a 20+-year-old box of Mackinac Island fudge from the Grand Hotel. Needless to say, it was hard as a rock and did not get retained!
What’s your favorite fact about the President for your particular library?
In the summer of 1936, Gerald Ford worked as a seasonal park ranger at Yellowstone National Park's Canyon Station. I can only imagine what it would have been like to live in this beautiful, rugged, and remote place in the 1930s.
You’re having dinner with the President of your Library. What restaurant would you take him to or what would you cook? What artifact would you ask him about? Why?
President Ford was pretty much a traditional “meat and potatoes” man. I think that I would grill some steak, hamburgers, and hot dogs and have a picnic.
Although this isn’t an artifact, I would want to ask him about his college years in Ann Arbor. We have some information from that time, but I bet he had some good stories about his student and football days.
If you were making a movie about your President, what would the tagline be and who would you cast? Why?
I’m not sure about what the tagline would be, but my first choice would be to cast Gerald Ford’s son Steve to play him. He is an actor and looks just like his father! If Steve was unavailable, then I would cast Ed Harris as Gerald Ford. I saw a movie with Harris in 1970s clothing, and I thought he could pass for Ford.
What's your favorite document, and why?
Picking a favorite document is hard because it changes depending on my mood. It could be something historically important or something that is just fun. Right now, my favorite is a letter from Gene Roddenberry’s secretary to President Ford that I found by accident while searching for something else in the White House Central Files. I love this because of the amazing Star Trek letterhead with the added wording, “from the log of the Starship Enterprise.”
What advice would you have for someone interested in a career in archival work, or how would you convince someone to consider a career in archival work?
My advice would be to get as much experience as you can because you never know where your career will take you, and you never know what you might find when you open the next box! Don't be afraid to ask your colleagues for advice. There is a good chance that someone out there has run into this same problem and was just as perplexed as you are. Also, to be an archivist in today's world you need to be able to have a good understanding of past events yet be able to use technology so that you describe and provide access to the information or the digital objects.
Lastly (and most important), why should people visit or learn more about your Presidential Library?
Many people may think that we don’t have as much as other Presidential Libraries because Gerald Ford was only President for two and a half years. However, we have material related to his long career in Congress, his Vice Presidency, and post-Presidential life. Also, we are not a monument to one person. Our materials tell part of the story of the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Our collections provide insight into a wide variety of domestic and foreign policy issues, such as inflation, energy, environmental protection, women’s rights, healthcare, America’s bicentennial celebration, the Middle East crisis, U.S.-Soviet relations, refugees, and the evacuation of Saigon. If someone is interested in learning more about these topics in the 20th century, a research visit to the Ford Library would be valuable.