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Archivist of the United States
 
 
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The Archivist
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....
 of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 is the chief official overseeing the operation of the National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration

The United States National Archives and Records Administration is an Independent agencies of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents....
. 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 Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
. 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.






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The Archivist
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....
 of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 is the chief official overseeing the operation of the National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration

The United States National Archives and Records Administration is an Independent agencies of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents....
. 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 Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
. 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. Adrienne Thomas is now serving as the acting Archivist of the United States, after Allen Weinstein
Allen Weinstein

Allen Weinstein was the Archivist of the United States. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 16, 2005. Weinstein announced his resignation on December 7, 2008, effective December 19th, for health reasons....
's resignation for health reasons.

The Archivist is responsible for safeguarding and making available for study all the permanently valuable records of the Federal Government, including the actual Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence

The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the Thirteen Colonies then at war with Kingdom of Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire....
, the Constitution
United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
 and the Bill of Rights
Bill of rights

A Bill of Rights is a list or summary of rights that are considered important and essential by a nation. The purpose of these bills is to protect those rights against infringement by the government....
, 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, founded on July 16, 1790....
. Under Public Law No. 98-497, the Archivist also must maintain custody of state legislative ratifications of amendments to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
 and proclaim 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.

Archivists of the United States

  • Robert D. W. Connor, served October 10, 1934–September 15, 1941
  • 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 the University of Minnesota in 1914, b...
    , served September 18, 1941–May 31, 1948
  • Wayne C. Grover
    Wayne C. Grover

    Wayne C. Grover served as Third Archivist of the United States.Grover joined the National Archives and Records Administration 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....
    , served June 2, 1948–November 6, 1965
  • Robert H. Bahmer
    Robert H. Bahmer

    Robert Henry Bahmer served as Fourth Archivist of the United States, 1965-1968.Bahmer was born near Gardena, North Dakota. He earned his bachelor's degree from Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota, his master's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder at Boulder, Colorado, and a doctorate from the University o...
    *, served November 7, 1965–March 9, 1968
  • 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, 1970-1973....
    **, served March 10, 1968–1979
  • 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*...
    , served 1979-July 1980
  • Robert M. Warner
    Robert M. Warner

    Robert M. Warner was an United States historian who served as the Sixth Archivist of the United States at the National Archives and Records Administration, from 1980 to 1985....
    , served July 1980-April 15, 1985
  • 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 and Records Administration in 1967 as an information retrieval specialist, after holding previous positions at the University of Chicago library and the Manuscript Division of the Libra...
    , served April 16, 1985–December 4, 1987
  • 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....
    , served December 4, 1987–March 24, 1993
  • 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....
    ***, served March 25, 1993–May 29, 1995
  • 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....
    , served May 30, 1995–February 15, 2005
  • Allen Weinstein
    Allen Weinstein

    Allen Weinstein was the Archivist of the United States. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 16, 2005. Weinstein announced his resignation on December 7, 2008, effective December 19th, for health reasons....
    , served February 16, 2005-December 19, 2008
  • Adrienne Thomas, served December 19, 2008-


*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.

***Served as Acting Archivist of the United States for this entire period; never confirmed as Archivist of the United States.

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