Press Release
Press Release · Friday, August 20, 2004

Press Release
August 20, 2004

October 2004 Free Public Programs at the National Archives

Washington, DC . . . In October, the National Archives and Records Administration showcases its new conference space and state-of-the-art William G. McGowan Theater with an outstanding series of author lectures and booksignings, and a two-day conference exploring Hispanic genealogy.

The McGowan Theater and Jefferson Conference Room are located in the National Archives Building on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC. Room G-17 is located in the National Archives Building Research Center. Please note: the public must use the National Archives Building Pennsylvania Avenue entrance between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, to access Room G-17. Some lectures will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, facility.

Friday, October 1 & Saturday, October 2
Location: William G. McGowan Theater and Jefferson Conference Room
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Genealogy Conference and Booksigning

"Hispanics and the Formation of the American People"
Authors, archivists and genealogists will gather to discuss the primary and secondary sources available to trace family history. Guest speakers include professors George Ryskamp, Carolina Crimm, Carlos Vega and Barbara Mujica; NARA archivists Constance Potter, Michael Hussey and Claire Kluskens; genealogists Marie Melchiori and Claire Bettag; Arthur Cresce, Chief of the Ethnic and Hispanic Branch in the Population Division of the U.S. Census Bureau; Federal Historian Marian Smith of the USCIS, and members of the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research.

Tuesday, October 5
Location: Jefferson Conference Room
Time: 12:00 noon
U.S. Navy in World War II
University of North Carolina Professor William Generous will discuss his book, Sweet Pea at War: A History of the USS Portland (CA-33). Few ships in American history have had as illustrious a history as the heavy cruiser USS Portland (CA-33), known by her crew as "Sweet Pea." With the destruction of most of the U.S. battleship fleet at Pearl Harbor, cruisers such as Sweet Pea carried the biggest guns the Navy possessed for nearly a year after the start of World War II at the Battle of the Coral Sea, The Battle of Midway, and the naval battle of Guadalcanal.

Tuesday, October 5
Location: Room G-17
Time: 11 a.m.
Know Your Records Series
Archivist William Davis will talk about Petitions and Memorials sent to the U.S. Congress and how to access them. This lecture will be repeated on Wednesday, October 6 at 11 a.m. in Lecture Room C at the National Archives in College Park.

Thursday, October 7
Location: Jefferson Conference Room
Time: 12:00 noon
Presidential Elections
Can you name the first woman to run for president, or the first woman to have a seat on the stock exchange? Do you know the first woman to own a newspaper or to speak before Congress? Amazingly, one woman achieved each of these feats, and her name has been all but erased from history. Children's author Kathleen Krull will discuss her book A Woman for President: The Story Of Victoria Woodhull.

Tuesday, October 12
Location: Room G-17
Time: 11 a.m.
Know Your Records Series
Archivist Edward Schamel will provide information about how researchers can study the subversive activities investigation committees: HUAC, SISS and PSI. This lecture will be repeated in Thursday, October 14 at 11 a.m. in Lecture Room C at the National Archives in College Park.

Thursday, October 14
Location: William G. McGowan Theater
Time: 7 p.m.
Native Americans
Author and curator emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution Herman Viola will discuss his book Trail to Wounded Knee: The Last Stand of the Plains Indians, 1860 – 1890.

Tuesday, October 19
Location: Room G-17
Time: 11 a.m.
Know Your Records Series
Archives specialist Jesse Kratz will highlight private claims submitted to Congress and discuss how researchers can access these records. This lecture will be repeated on Thursday, October 21 at 11 a.m. in Lecture Room D at the National Archives in College Park.

Thursday, October 21
Location: William G. McGowan Theater
Time: 7 p.m.
Public Health
American University Professor Alan Kraut will be joined by a panel of experts to discuss Goldberger's War: The Life and Work of a Public Health Crusader. Joseph Goldberger, an immigrant Jew who trained as a doctor at Bellevue, fought epidemics that swept the nation in the early 20th century: typhoid, yellow fever, and diphtheria. His medical solution to pellagra, a disease affecting many in the "New South," affected the economy, culture, and politics. Panelists include Dr. Dale C. Smith, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medical History, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Dr. Suzanne Junod, assistant historian at the Food and Drug Administration and President of the Society for History in the Federal Government.

Tuesday, October 26
Location: William G. McGowan Theater
Time: 7 p.m.
Interagency Working Group
Archivist Richard Myers will moderate a panel of historians as they discuss "Unique Perspectives: How the IWG Historians Contributed to the Release and Understanding of Classified War Crimes Records." Based in part on their book, U.S. Intelligence and the Nazi, historians Timothy Naftali, Norman J.W. Goda, Richard Breitman, and Robert Wolfe will discuss their roles in the Interagency Working Group and the development and research associated with the essays appearing in the book. The Interagency Working Group was created by the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Acts. The FBI, CIA, NSA, State Department, NARA, and other agencies have worked together to release over eight million documents.

Tuesday, October 26
Location: Room G-17
Time: 11 a.m.
Know Your Records Series
Archives Specialist Ida Brudnick will examine the cartoons and political drawings of Clifford Berryman housed in the Center for Legislative Archives. This lecture will be repeated on Thursday, October28 at 11 a.m. in Lecture Room E at the National Archives in College Park.

Thursday, October 28
Location: William G. McGowan Theater
Time: 7 p.m.
Presidential Elections
Author Douglas Schoen will discuss his book, On the Campaign Trail: The Long Road of Presidential Politics, 1860-2004, a collection of historic and memorable images -- many of them rare or unseen for decades -- capturing the excitement of nearly two centuries of presidential campaigns.

Thursday, October 28
Location: Jefferson Conference Room
Time: 12:00 noon
Cold War Espionage
Clarence Ashley will discuss his book, CIA Spymaster. Drawing upon newly released CIA files, conversations with a KGB defector, and interviews with key operatives of the CIA and Secret Intelligence Service, this book is the authorized inside story of an Agency legend, George Kisevalter. Other guest speakers will include Leonard McCoy, a long-time friend of Kisevalter and CIA Reports Officer and Ted Poling, backup official serving agent Pyotr Popov, the first major source inside Soviet military intelligence.

Friday, October 29
Location: Room G-17
Time: 10 a.m.
Genealogy Workshop: Mexican Border Crossing Records
Claire Kluskens presents "Mexican Border Crossing Records." Mexican border crossing records document the arrival of immigrants to the United States at the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to permanent arrivals, they also include persons who came to the U.S. temporarily, for reasons such as short-term employment, business, or shopping trips. Although the records primarily include Mexicans, Europeans, Chinese, and Japanese are also listed. Although there is no fee for this workshop, reservations are required. Call 202-208-0781.

* * *

For PRESS information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (301) 837-1700 or (202) 501-5526.

To verify the date and times of the programs, the public should call the Public Programs Line at: (202) 501-5000, the hearing impaired should call TDD (202) 501-5404 for information, or view the Calendar of Events on the web at: www.archives.gov/about_us/calendar_of_events/index.html

04-81