Archivist of the United States Appoints New Executive Director To The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
Press Release · Tuesday, January 7, 2003

Washington, DC

Archivist of the United States (and NHPRC Chairman) John W. Carlin today announced the appointment of Max J. Evans as Executive Director of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives and Records Administration. He will join the National Archives on January 27, 2003.

In making the announcement Mr. Carlin said, "I am pleased to appoint Mr. Evans, whose experience will serve to further NHPRC's mission. As an editor, an archivist, and a preservation officer, Mr. Evans understands the various challenges facing the Commission. We look forward to his leadership."

Most recently, Mr. Evans was the Director of the Utah State Historical Society and editor of the Utah Historical Quarterly. As Society Director, he also served as the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and was responsible for publications, the history library (including published and manuscript materials, photographs, and maps), a statewide grants program, and the state history museum. He also served for over a year as the Acting State Archivist and was the chair of the State Records Committee from 1991 through 1998.

Mr. Evans is an active member of the archival community. He was a founding member of the Conference of Intermountain Archivists and was a fellow of the Society of American Archivists, having served on and chaired several SAA committees. Long interested in archives and automation, Mr. Evans helped develop the MARC-AMC format and the Research Libraries Group's archives and manuscripts programs. He was a member of the RLG Board of Directors, 1991-1992.

His career has included work as an editorial assistant for the Western Historical Quarterly, an archivist for the LDS Church Historical Department, and an archivist at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. While in Madison he also served as the Director of the state history library, a collection of over two million volumes.

Mr. Evans attended Utah State University and the University of Utah where he earned a bachelor's degree in American history. He later earned a master's in history at Utah State University, where he specialized in the history of the American West. He also studied American history and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The NHPRC, a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives, supports a wide range of activities to preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources relating to the history of the United States. Its mission is to ensure understanding of our nation's past by promoting, nationwide, the identification, preservation, and dissemination of essential historical documentation.