Archivist Weinstein Introduces American Conversations
Press Release · Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Press Release
November 22, 2005

Archivist Weinstein Introduces "American Conversations"

Inaugural program features author Lynne Cheney on November 30

Washington, DC…On Wednesday, November 30, at 7 P.M. Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States, will launch a new National Archives program entitled: "American Conversations," a series of informal interviews on American history and identity with notable scholars. Author Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Richard Cheney and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, will be the inaugural guest in this series. She will discuss how researching her own family history opened up new avenues to learning American history as well as the importance of historical literacy in interpreting current events.

Future guests in this series will include Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Events in this series will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., which is located on the National Mall at Constitution Ave. and 7th Street, N.W., and is fully accessible. All programs in the "American Conversations" series are free and open to the public. Reservations can be made by e-mail (public.program@nara.gov) or telephone (202-501-5000). For more information see our web site: www.archives.gov/about/archivist/conversations/.

Lynne Cheney's recent book, A Time for Freedom: What Happened When in America is a continuation of her work to encourage American historical literacy. As chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1986-1993, Mrs. Cheney published American Memory, a landmark study of America's challenges in history education, and she has continued to be an advocate for the study of American history in her current role as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Allen Weinstein is a noted historian who received a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. He served as a professor of history and American studies at Smith College, Georgetown University, and Boston University. From 1985 through 2003, Dr. Weinstein was founder, President, and CEO of The Center for Democracy which fostered initiatives in democratic transitions abroad and served as a bridge in issue dialogues between political parties in the United States. Most recently, he was a senior advisor at the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES). He is the author of several important books on American history and the Cold War.

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For PRESS information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs Office at 202-501-5526.

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