The national archives at fifty

Abstract

An analysis and examination of the National Archives of the United States. The 19th century background and need for the governmental agency is quickly sketched. Emphasis is placed on the role of J. Franklin Jameson (beginning in 1906) and the coalition of scholars, civil servants, public officials, patriotic organizations, and the press which he put together to secure the legislation founding the National Archives in 1934. Some of the technical and theoretical accomplishments of the agency are covered; its growth and movement into new areas of responsibility is documented; the reasons for the loss of independence in 1949 and the return of independence in 1985 are examined. Five areas of concern for the future of the Archives are briefly examined: public visibility and use; liaison with the scholarly community; use of technology; archival education and training; and strengthening ties with the public in general. The paper concludes with a call for a new coalition to ensure the continued preservation of archival institutions in the future.