Archivist of the United States
Encyclopedia
The Archivist
of the United States
is the chief official overseeing the operation of the National Archives and Records Administration
. The first Archivist, R.D.W. Connor, began serving in 1934, when the National Archives was established as an independent federal agency by Congress
. The Archivists served as subordinate officials of the General Services Administration
from 1949 until the National Archives and Records Administration became an independent agency again on April 1, 1985.
On July 28, 2009, President Obama nominated David Ferriero
to be 10th Archivist of the United States. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
on November 6, 2009 and was sworn in a week later.
The Archivist is appointed by the President
and is responsible for safeguarding and making available for study all the permanently valuable records of the federal government, including the original Declaration of Independence
, Constitution
and Bill of Rights
, which are displayed in the Archives' main building in Washington, D.C.
Under Public Law No. 98-497, the Archivist also must maintain custody of state ratifications of amendments to the United States Constitution
and it is the Archivist's duty to issue a certificate proclaiming a particular amendment duly ratified and part of the Constitution if the legislatures of at least three-quarters of the states approve the proposed amendment. The Amendment and its certificate of ratification are then published in the Federal Register
and the amendment is included in the United States Statutes at Large
.
In accordance with Title 1, Chapter 2 §106a of the United States Code, the Archivist of the United States also receives the original version of all statutes of the United States, once enacted. Joint Resolutions and Acts of Congress signed into law by the president are delivered by the office of the President to the National Archives. The same happens if a bill becomes law because the president fails to approve or veto it within the constitutionally mandated period of time (ten days, excluding Sundays, and only counted when Congress is in session). If the President vetoes a bill but the presidential veto is overriden, the new law is transmitted to the National Archives not by the office of the President, but by Congress: in this case, the presiding officer of the last House to consider the bill certifies that the presidential objection was overriden, and sends the new law to the Archivist of the United States. In all cases, the office of the Archivist (the National Archives) maintains custody of the original document and (by means of the Office of the Federal Register
, a division of the National Archives) provides for its publication as a slip law and for the inclusion of the new statute in the United States Statutes at Large. The actual printing and circulation of the slip law and of the volumes of the United States Statutes at Large
is the responsibility of the Government Printing Office, headed by the Public Printer of the United States
.
By means of the Office of the Federal Register, the National Archives also publishes documents of the Executive Branch, such as presidential proclamations and executive orders.
In all United States presidential elections, the Archivist of the United States also has duties concerning the custody of Electoral College
documents, such as certificates of ascertainment declaring the names of the presidential electors chosen in each state, and of the certificates of vote produced by the electors of each state.
* Served first as Acting Archivist of the United States from Nov. 7, 1965, until his appointment as Archivist of the United States on January 16, 1966.
** Served first as Acting Archivist of the United States from March 10, 1968, until his appointment as Archivist of the United States on May 2, 1968.
Archivist
An archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is the chief official overseeing the operation of the National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
. The first Archivist, R.D.W. Connor, began serving in 1934, when the National Archives was established as an independent federal agency by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. The Archivists served as subordinate officials of the General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
from 1949 until the National Archives and Records Administration became an independent agency again on April 1, 1985.
On July 28, 2009, President Obama nominated David Ferriero
David Ferriero
David Sean Ferriero is a librarian, library administrator, and the 10th Archivist of the United States. He was Director of the New York Public Library; and before that, he was the University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs at Duke University. Prior to his Duke position, he worked...
to be 10th Archivist of the United States. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on November 6, 2009 and was sworn in a week later.
The Archivist is appointed by the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and is responsible for safeguarding and making available for study all the permanently valuable records of the federal government, including the original Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
, Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and Bill of Rights
United States Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and...
, which are displayed in the Archives' main building in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Under Public Law No. 98-497, the Archivist also must maintain custody of state ratifications of amendments to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and it is the Archivist's duty to issue a certificate proclaiming a particular amendment duly ratified and part of the Constitution if the legislatures of at least three-quarters of the states approve the proposed amendment. The Amendment and its certificate of ratification are then published in the Federal Register
Federal Register
The Federal Register , abbreviated FR, or sometimes Fed. Reg.) is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains most routine publications and public notices of government agencies...
and the amendment is included in the United States Statutes at Large
United States Statutes at Large
The United States Statutes at Large, commonly referred to as the Statutes at Large and abbreviated Stat., are the official source for the laws and concurrent resolutions passed by the United States Congress...
.
In accordance with Title 1, Chapter 2 §106a of the United States Code, the Archivist of the United States also receives the original version of all statutes of the United States, once enacted. Joint Resolutions and Acts of Congress signed into law by the president are delivered by the office of the President to the National Archives. The same happens if a bill becomes law because the president fails to approve or veto it within the constitutionally mandated period of time (ten days, excluding Sundays, and only counted when Congress is in session). If the President vetoes a bill but the presidential veto is overriden, the new law is transmitted to the National Archives not by the office of the President, but by Congress: in this case, the presiding officer of the last House to consider the bill certifies that the presidential objection was overriden, and sends the new law to the Archivist of the United States. In all cases, the office of the Archivist (the National Archives) maintains custody of the original document and (by means of the Office of the Federal Register
Office of the Federal Register
The Office of the Federal Register is an agency of the United States government within the National Archives and Records Administration.The Office publishes the Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, and United States Statutes at Large, among others. It also administers the Electoral College....
, a division of the National Archives) provides for its publication as a slip law and for the inclusion of the new statute in the United States Statutes at Large. The actual printing and circulation of the slip law and of the volumes of the United States Statutes at Large
United States Statutes at Large
The United States Statutes at Large, commonly referred to as the Statutes at Large and abbreviated Stat., are the official source for the laws and concurrent resolutions passed by the United States Congress...
is the responsibility of the Government Printing Office, headed by the Public Printer of the United States
Public Printer of the United States
The title of Public Printer of the United States refers to the official head of the Government Printing Office . Pursuant to , this officer must be nominated by the President of the United States and approved by the United States Senate...
.
By means of the Office of the Federal Register, the National Archives also publishes documents of the Executive Branch, such as presidential proclamations and executive orders.
In all United States presidential elections, the Archivist of the United States also has duties concerning the custody of Electoral College
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
documents, such as certificates of ascertainment declaring the names of the presidential electors chosen in each state, and of the certificates of vote produced by the electors of each state.
Archivists of the United States
The following is a list of Archivists of the United States| No. | Picture | Archivist | Start of Term | End of Term | President(s) President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Robert Digges Wimberly Connor Robert Digges Wimberly Connor Robert Digges Wimberly Connor was an American historian and the first Archivist of the United States, 1934-1941. He was born to Henry G. Connor and Kate Whitfield Connor on September 26, 1878, in Wilson, North Carolina... |
October 10, 1934 | September 15, 1941 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... |
| 2 |  |
Solon J. Buck Solon J. Buck Solon Justus Buck was the Second Archivist of the United States.His academic career, never straying very far from his interest in the history of agricultural communities, started with a brief appointment to Indiana University followed by two years at the University of Illinois, which he left for... |
September 18, 1941 | May 31, 1948 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his... |
| 3 |  |
Wayne C. Grover Wayne C. Grover Wayne C. Grover served as Third Archivist of the United States.Grover joined the National Archives staff in 1935. During World War II he earned the Legion of Merit for the management of Army wartime records as chief of the Records Management Branch... |
June 2, 1948 | November 6, 1965 | Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his... Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army... John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States... |
| 4 |  |
Robert H. Bahmer Robert H. Bahmer Robert Henry Bahmer served as Fourth Archivist of the United States from 1965 to 1968.Bahmer was born near Gardena, North Dakota... * |
November 7, 1965 | March 9, 1968 | Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States... |
| 5 | James B. Rhoads James B. Rhoads James B. Rhoads served as Fifth Archivist of the United States. He also served as President of the Academy of Certified Archivists, 1992-1994. For the Society of American Archivists, Rhoads was elected as a Distinguished Fellow in 1966, and acted as president, 1974–1975, and as a council member,... ** |
March 10, 1968 | 1979 | Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States... Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under... Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974... Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office... |
|
| - | James O'Neill James O'Neill (archivist) James O'Neill served as Acting Archivist of the United States from 1979 through July 1980.-External links:* *... |
1979 | July 1980 | Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office... |
|
| 6 |  |
Robert M. Warner Robert M. Warner Robert M. Warner was an American historian who served as the Sixth Archivist of the United States at the National Archives, from 1980 to 1985.... |
July 1980 | April 15, 1985 | Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office... Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... |
| - |  |
Frank G. Burke Frank G. Burke Frank Gerard Burke served as Acting Archivist of the United States from April 16, 1985, to December 4, 1987.Burke joined the staff of the National Archives in 1967 as an information retrieval specialist, after holding previous positions at the University of Chicago library and the Manuscript... |
April 16, 1985 | December 4, 1987 | Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... |
| 7 |  |
Don W. Wilson Don W. Wilson Don W. Wilson was appointed the Archivist of the United States, serving from December 4, 1987, to March 24, 1993.-Biography:Wilson earned a bachelor's degree from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, and attended the University of Cincinnati, which awarded Wilson both an M.A. and Ph.D. in history... |
December 4, 1987 | March 24, 1993 | Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to... Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... |
| - |  |
Trudy Huskamp Peterson Trudy Huskamp Peterson Trudy Huskamp Peterson was the Acting Archivist of the United States from March 25, 1993 to May 29, 1995.She earned her B.S. in English and history from Iowa State University in 1967, and a Ph.D... |
March 25, 1993 | May 29, 1995 | Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... |
| 8 |  |
John W. Carlin John W. Carlin John William Carlin served as fortieth Governor of Kansas from 1979 to 1987, and Archivist of the United States from May 30, 1995, to February 15, 2005.-Biography:... |
May 30, 1995 | February 15, 2005 | Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
| 9 |  |
Allen Weinstein Allen Weinstein Allen Weinstein is an American historian, educator, and federal official who has served in several different offices. He served as the Archivist of the United States from February 16, 2005 until his resignation on December 19, 2008... |
February 16, 2005 | December 19, 2008 | George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
| - |  |
Adrienne Thomas Adrienne Thomas Adrienne Thomas is Deputy Archivist of the United States and former acting Archivist of the United States. She assumed the position of Acting Archivist when the ninth Archivist, Allen Weinstein, announced his resignation on December 7, 2008, effective December 19. Weinstein explained that he was... |
December 19, 2008 | November 5, 2009 | George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
| 10 | David Ferriero David Ferriero David Sean Ferriero is a librarian, library administrator, and the 10th Archivist of the United States. He was Director of the New York Public Library; and before that, he was the University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs at Duke University. Prior to his Duke position, he worked... |
November 6, 2009 | -- | Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |