CHIEF ARCHIVIST TO SPEAK AT GENEALOGY CONFERENCE

(Arlington, Va.) Dr. Allen Weinstein, Chief Archivist of the United States, will address the opening session of the National Genealogical Society’s (NGS) annual conference on June 7, 2006 at the Hyatt Rosemont. The conference is the largest gathering of amateur and professional genealogists ever held in the area.
Weinstein was named by President Bush in 2004 to be the nation's chief archivist. As such, he leads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). He recently invited criticism from the administration that appointed him when he ordered a “moratorium” on the reclassification of documents, pending an internal evaluation of which documents should be removed from the Archive’s public holdings.
Historians have complained that many previously accessible documents had vanished from the shelves at NARA. It was subsequently disclosed that since 1999, intelligence and defense agencies had removed more than 55,000 pages of information. As the nation’s largest public records repository, NARA is a significant influence on policy and legislation addressing key genealogical concerns such as access to public records information.
Weinstein’s books, essays and articles have appeared in numerous publications. He is also a frequent commentator on CNN, C-Span and other networks. In 1986 Weinstein was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal for his efforts to promote peace, dialogue and free elections in several critical parts of the world.
Additional information regarding the conference is available at the NGS website www.ngsgenealogy.org, or by calling 800-473-0060.
Founded in 1903, the non-profit National Genealogical Society is one of the nation’s largest and most respected organizations devoted to genealogical research. The Society provides leadership along with a wide variety of educational programs for individuals, societies, libraries and institutions.
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