Counting Down Until the Release of the 1950 Census!

Today’s post is by Denise Henderson, Blog alum and Director of Digitization in the Office of Research Services. Since it only happens once every ten years, NARA wants to give you plenty of advance notice:  365 days from today, on April 1, 2022, the 1950 Census will be digitally released to the public! The opening … Continue reading Counting Down Until the Release of the 1950 Census!

A few good lawmen

Today’s post is written by Denise Henderson. A few months ago, I was asked to locate a record about Pat Garrett, the famous sheriff who killed Billy the Kid in 1881 when cowboys and cattle thieves made the West wild and dangerous and a place in serious need of law enforcement.  Understanding the index to, … Continue reading A few good lawmen

If I Was in Charge…

By Denise Henderson We want to hear from our researchers!  Here’s your chance to tell us what record groups you would like to see us working on…if you were in charge! In the last few years, the archivists working in the Textual Archives Services Division at Archives II  have been involved in several large-scale processing projects.  … Continue reading If I Was in Charge…

I hope my crown doesn’t clash with my dress

By Denise Henderson Our pals over at Prologue:  Pieces of History have “Facial Hair Friday;”  here at The Text Message, we give you “Beauty Queen Monday.”  The document featured in today’s post is from the January – February 1960 issue of The Shield, an employee newsletter published by the International Cooperation Administration (ICA).  You can … Continue reading I hope my crown doesn’t clash with my dress

The gangster, the bank robber, the baby face, and a G-Man

By Denise Henderson Yesterday, I posted about Department of Justice press releases.  Today, I’d like to share a few of my favorites! One early press release, dated November 6, 1933, details the establishment of a federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, which according to the release, “is a necessary part of the Government’s campaign against predatory … Continue reading The gangster, the bank robber, the baby face, and a G-Man

You Never Know Who You’ll Meet in the Records!

By Denise Henderson What do John Dillinger, Al Capone, Bruno Hauptmann, and Frank Sinatra’s son have in common? You can find a press release (or in some cases, more than one!) relating to them at the National Archives!  Recently, I processed and described the series “Press Releases, Speeches, Testimonies, and Other Records, 1933-1984” (ARC ID … Continue reading You Never Know Who You’ll Meet in the Records!