Women in Police Work, 1922

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. In May 1922, the British embassy in Washington contacted the Department of State at the direction of authorities in London. The British ("His Britannic Majesty's Government") wanted to know about the work of women … Continue reading Women in Police Work, 1922

On the Waterfront, or, The Smell of Discovery

Today's post is by College Park processing archivist Alan Walker. True story: Thursday, March 28 was shaping up to be a typical day. I had before me a cart’s worth of boxes full of case files from the Department of Justice that needed to be listed for a spreadsheet of “temporary” files to be disposed. These … Continue reading On the Waterfront, or, The Smell of Discovery

A personal prologue at the National Archives

By David Langbart The motto of the National Archives is "What is Past Is Prologue." Recently, while assisting a researcher at Archives II, I ran into my Dad, even though he died several years ago.  A bit of background will help you understand.  My father's first Government service, like most in his generation, came in … Continue reading A personal prologue at the National Archives

Enforcing the Voting Rights Act

By Jason Clingerman On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. While this was a major milestone in ensuring that no one could “deny or abridge the rights of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race and color,” violations of individual voting rights … Continue reading Enforcing the Voting Rights Act