staff of NARA stand in front of the Archives building, a banner of National Archives and Reocrds Admn 1985 is held in the front

What Budget Cuts Look Like, 1981

And so, we enter the now-annual ritual of waiting and seeing if the National Archives (and most of the rest of the Federal Government) opens on October 1, or shuts down. The agency has been weathering financial storms since well before our modern shutdown era began in the mid-1990s. Anxiety over the paucity of funding … Continue reading What Budget Cuts Look Like, 1981

The Decentralization of Archives Debate and National Archives Independence, 1979-1984

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In going through my old files in the process of retiring I ran across information regarding the debate about the decentralization of the National Archives and the movement for an independent National Archives. Undoubtedly, most current National … Continue reading The Decentralization of Archives Debate and National Archives Independence, 1979-1984

The Percentage of Permanent Records in the National Archives: A 1985 Article Revisited

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Thirty-five years ago the National Archives had a space problem. It still does, even with the opening of the National Archives at College Park, MD in 1994 (known to staff and researchers as Archives II or just … Continue reading The Percentage of Permanent Records in the National Archives: A 1985 Article Revisited

Three women working on exhibit cases.

The Freedom Train, 1947-1949

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Early in my career at the National Archives, my branch chief assigned me the task of describing the records of the American Heritage Foundation, part of the National Archives Gift Collection. This sounded boring, and somewhat was … Continue reading The Freedom Train, 1947-1949

Appraising FBI Records in New York City and Los Angeles, 1981: A Personal Diary

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In going through my papers I found that early in 1982 I had written a paper regarding the 1981 appraisal of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records by a team of National Archives and Records Service (NARS)[1] … Continue reading Appraising FBI Records in New York City and Los Angeles, 1981: A Personal Diary

Myrna Loy, Her World Beyond Hollywood, Part I 1905-1949

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park Myrna Loy was an American actress whose 129 movie career made her a household name for decades.  A New York Times reporter wrote in November 1987, that “During the many years Myrna Loy reigned as one of America’s … Continue reading Myrna Loy, Her World Beyond Hollywood, Part I 1905-1949

A Catalog for the Records, 1936

Today’s post is written by Alan Walker, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. Today, if you can’t make it in to a National Archives facility or presidential library, you will be diving into our online catalog to find what you’re looking for. But in the early days of the agency, … Continue reading A Catalog for the Records, 1936

Nathan Reingold

Drafting a Guide: American Jewish History Resources

Today’s post is written by Alan Walker, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. In 1957, archivist Nathan Reingold distributed a memo to each custodial unit at the National Archives asking for their staffs' help in tracking down records relating to American Jewish history. Nathan Reingold, 1971. (National Archives ID 23856471, Local ID 64-NA-5058). … Continue reading Drafting a Guide: American Jewish History Resources

Aiding the Jews of Europe, 1946

Today’s post is written by Alan Walker, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. Although the war was over, the agony of its survivors continued unabated. The United Jewish Appeal, established in 1939, now in the aftermath called upon the federal government to solicit support for its efforts overseas to help Jewish victims of … Continue reading Aiding the Jews of Europe, 1946

picture of a woman with a pneumatic tube in her hand taking out a pull slip

50 Years of the Pull Slip

Today's post was written by Alan Walker, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. Can you believe it? April of 1966 saw the introduction of NAR Form 1, the "Reference Service Slip." This paper (commonly referred to as a "pull slip") is used to request records and is just as important to researchers and … Continue reading 50 Years of the Pull Slip