Know Your Records: USAID, RG 286, Part II

By Alfie Paul So, what is in the RG 286 Records (Record Group 286: Records of the Agency for International Development, 1948 - 2003), and how should researchers approach diving in to the world of USAID? Most important is for researchers to have as much specific information as possible depending on how specific your research … Continue reading Know Your Records: USAID, RG 286, Part II

Know Your Records: USAID, RG 286, Part I

By Alfie Paul The National Archives has a program of presentations called Know Your Records through which archivists, volunteers, and others share their knowledge of our records with you, the public.  It is a great way for interested individuals to learn what we have and how to use what we have to their advantage. The … Continue reading Know Your Records: USAID, RG 286, Part I

Political Sensitivity at the Peak of the Cold War

By Jason Clingerman In February 1963, the United Nations (UN) held the UN Conference on the Application of Science and Technology for the Benefit of the Less Developed Areas (UNCAST) in Geneva, Switzerland. This conference, held at the peak of the Cold War, brought together about 1,600 delegates from 96 countries, including delegations from both … Continue reading Political Sensitivity at the Peak of the Cold War

Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI)

By Jason Clingerman Given the recent appearance of the development company Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) in the news regarding the case of Alan Gross, the development worker who was jailed in Cuba in 2009 accused of working for U.S. intelligence services, I thought it would be worthwhile to mention that records relating to development projects … Continue reading Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI)

Our Mission: The Missions of AID, Part II

Today's post is written by Alan Walker, a processing archivist in Research Services. Earlier I described to you the Overseas Mission records of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and our project to transform them from the unfortunate and inaccessible state in which they arrived at Archives II. These records have proven a time-consuming challenge for … Continue reading Our Mission: The Missions of AID, Part II

Our Mission: The Missions of AID, Part I

Today’s post is written by Alan Walker, a processing archivist in Research Services. Since 2010, the Record Group 286 Processing Team has been steadily transforming the 11,700 cubic feet of paper records of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) housed here at Archives II. A lot of preparation goes into such a massive project … Continue reading Our Mission: The Missions of AID, Part I