Press Release
Press Release · Wednesday, May 3, 2000

Washington, DC . . . In June, the National Archives and Records Administration presents programs highlighting a variety of subjects including espionage, the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, and projects from National History Day Finalists.

The programs are free and open to the public and will take place at the National Archives Building, Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets, NW. The public may verify times and dates by calling the National Archives public events line at (202) 501-5000. TDD users may call (202) 501-5404.

Thursday, June 1-Espionage
Allen Weinstein will discuss The Haunted Wood: Soviet Espionage in America-The Stalin Era. Weinstein and Alexander Vassiliev, a former KGB agent, used previously secret KGB records to document the KGB's success in acquiring atomic, military, and diplomatic secrets during the 1930s and 1940s. Noon. Theater.

Monday, June 5-D-Day/Picturing the Century
To commemorate the 56th anniversary of D-day, Donald Goldstein will discuss his book, D-Day Normandy: The Story and the Photographs, which contains hundreds of American, Allied, and German photos. Noon. Theater.

Tuesday, June 6-Presidential History/Biography
Marc Landy and Sidney M. Milkis will discuss their book, Presidential Greatness. They show how five Presidents-Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt-set the standards for Presidential leadership and achievement. Noon. Theater.

Thursday, June 8-Espionage
David Rudgers will discuss Creating the Secret State: The Origins of the Central Intelligence Agency, 1943-1947. Rudgers, a 22-year CIA veteran, has written the first complete account of the CIA's creation, revealing how the idea of "centralized intelligence" developed within the government. Noon. Theater.

Tuesday, June 13-Treasures of Congress/Biography
John Hyde and former Senator John Culver will discuss their book, American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace, the first full biography of this controversial figure. Wallace was a geneticist, an author, an economist, and a businessman. He also held two cabinet posts, served as FDR's Vice President, and ran for President in 1948. Noon. Theater.

Tuesday, June 13-Biography/Civil Rights
Douglas Brinkley will talk about his latest book, Rosa Parks. Parks had no idea she was changing history when, in 1955, she refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus. Today she is immortalized for the defiance that sent her to jail and triggered a bus boycott that catapulted Martin Luther King, Jr., into the national spotlight. 7 P.M. Theater.

Wednesday, June 14-Archival Sources Special Presentations
National History Day Performance and Project Board Finalists In conjunction with National History Day (NHD), the National Archives presents finalists in project boards and individual performances. The theme of the 2000 NHD competition is "Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events." Join NARA in a celebration of excellence in education. 10 A.M.-1 P.M. Portico and Rotunda, Constitution Avenue.

Thursday, June 15-Korean War
Otto Apel will discuss MASH: An Army Surgeon in Korea. When North Korean forces invaded South Korea in 1950, Apel was a surgical resident in Cleveland. A year later he was chief surgeon of the 8076th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Apel writes about the formation and daily activities of the 8076th MASH, stationed near the 38th parallel. Noon. Theater.

Tuesday, June 20-Civil War
Cold Harbor was a watershed moment of the Civil War. In Not War But Murder: Cold Harbor 1864, Ernest Furgurson shows how friction between Grant and Meade proved disastrous, how Lee repeatedly outmaneuvered Union forces, and how Northern election-year politics influenced Grant's strategy, pressing him to try to win the war with one final head-on attack. Noon. Theater.

Wednesday, June 21-Korean War
Korea 1950-53: The Navy in the Forgotten War. In January 2000, the Navy Museum at the Washington Navy Yard opened an exhibit on the Navy in the first hot war of the Cold War. On June 26 the museum will open another exhibit in the Pentagon as part of the 50th-anniversary commemorative events. Join Dr. Edward M. Furgol, curator of the Navy Museum, and Karin Hill, producer of naval history videos for the museum, for a discussion of the exhibits. Noon. Room 105.

Tuesday, June 27-Espionage
Linda McCarthy, a 24-year veteran of the CIA, will talk about her book, Spies, Pop Flies, and French Fries: Stories I Told My Favorite Visitors to the CIA Exhibit Center. Topics include the CORONA program, spy-catchers, and the famous "Limping Lady of the OSS," Virginia Hall. Noon. Theater.

Wednesday, June 28-Treasures of Congress
The Senate's Fine Art Collection. Join Diane K. Skvarla, Curator of the U.S. Senate, as she discusses the history of the Capitol and the Senate's fine art collection. The history of the Senate's fine art collection mirrors the rise in the nation's artistic achievements and the growing sentiments of American nationalism. The audience may view "Treasures of Congress" after the lecture. Noon. Room 105.

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

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