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Preview of Magna Carta

I just received this update from the National Archives last week; I won’t be able to make it, but if you’re in the D.C. area, this is quite an opportunity. The National Archives will be holding an exclusive preview of the Magna Carta for members of the press before it goes back on display. This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to photograph or videotape the Magna Carta outside of its display case. Press will also have the opportunity to talk to its new owner, David Rubenstein, as well as the Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein and National Archives Exhibits Curator, Terry Boone.

 

This exclusive event will take place from 1-2p.m. on Monday, March 3^rd, at the National Archives Building Conservation Lab.  Please note that NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHT MAY BE USED.

For background on the Magna Carta, as well as directions, please view the entire press release at: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-67.html.

 

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Noontime Programs at the National Archives in April 2008

During the month of April, the National Archives will be presenting three free programs available to the public:

 

 

 

 

1.      Preserving America’s History, April 9^th, will explain how the National Archives protects and preserves the documents and artifacts it holds.

2.      White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters, April 16^th, will be presented by Robert Schlesinger (son of famed JFK speech writer Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.), and will discuss how the relationship between President’s and their speechwriters can impact a presidency.

3.      Summers with Lincoln, April 17^th, explores the meanings of monuments erected in memorial to Abraham Lincoln.

 

All three events will be held at noon at the National Archives Building, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-66.html.

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Updated Confucius family tree has two million members

I thought this was interesting when I came across it. More than 2 million family members… that was a big genealogy project for sure! The Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee tells us that the task of registering new members was completed in 2007 and the descendant report for Confucius is due to be published in 2009; 2,500 years after his death. Kong Dewei, a Confucius descendant who has been updating and directing the work on this project reports that there are over 1.3 million new “living member” entries to the Confucius family but deceased members have also been included.

 

The work for this project began in 1998 when a 77^th generation member Kong Deyong established the committee. To help complete the project over 450 branches of the committee worldwide were set up to assist with the work

Follow this link to Read the full story

 

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National Archives Celebrates Black History Month in February

The National Archives will be celebrating Black History Month in February with special films, lectures and public programs. These events will be at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and are open to the public. Some programs will also be held at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. Unless otherwise noted all events are free.

 

 

• Panel Discussion and Banneker Monument Unveiling, February 15, at 7 P.M
• What’s New in the ARC (Archival Research Catalog)? February 20, at 11:30 A.M.
• Using Federal Records for African American Genealogical Research, February 23, 10:15 A.M.-1:30 P.M.

On Tuesdays and Fridays throughout February, the National Archives will be showing the landmark 14-part PBS series Eyes on the Prize. For the complete film schedule, as well as more information on other events taking place, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-42.html.

 

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National Archives Marks World War I Veteran’s 107th Birthday

Archivists present last living American WWI veteran with a copy of his military file. WASHINGTON, DC* The National Archives celebrated the 107th birthday of the nation’s last living World War I veteran, Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles, this week.  To honor Mr. Buckles — and by extension all of the men and women who served — National Archives archivists Mitch Yockelson and Richard Boylan visited with Mr. Buckles at his home in West Virginia and presented him with a copy of his military service record.

Frank Woodruff Buckles was born in Harrison County, Missouri, on February 1, 1901.  He enlisted in the US Army in 1917, at the age of 16 (he said he was 18).  During the war, he was stationed in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France.   He served as an ambulance driver, and after the Armistice was signed in 1918, he escorted prisoners of war back to Germany.  Following the war, he was stationed in Germany, and he was discharged from service in 1920 having achieved the rank of corporal.

In the Second World War, Mr. Buckles was a civilian working for the White Star steamship line and was in Manila on business in December 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  He was captured by the Japanese and spent over three years as a POW at the city’s University of Santo Tomas.

The archivists located records relating to much of Mr. Buckles’ service in Europe.  The National Archives photo lab then scanned and made prints of nearly three dozen documents that comprise his military file.  His file includes his troop ship manifest, personnel rosters, and a history of Base Hospital 35 in Winchester, England, where Mr. Buckles spent part of his military career as a driver.

More than 4,700,000 men and women served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I.  Of that number, roughly 2,000,000 served on foreign soil.  Today, Mr. Buckles is the only living veteran.  Ninety years after the end of World War I, Mr. Buckles recalled his service and said he was honored to be “the last known American veteran.”  He pondered how World War I will be remembered when there are no surviving veterans.

Background
Among the vast holdings of the National Archives are the official historical records relating to the American participation during World War I.  Such records are housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC, College Park, Maryland, and the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Among the holdings are several million pages of unit files and personnel records, and close to a million maps, photographs, motion pictures and posters.  For information, see Archivist Mitch Yockelson’s article entitled:  “They Answered the Call:  Military Service in the United States Army during World War I, 1917-1919” at:

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/fall/military-service-in-world-war-one.html

 

 

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A Family Tree Search Sunday

This is a neat idea that more communities should consider. What better way to show residents how their tax dollars work than a family tree search Sunday. This story from the Scarborough Evening News reports that residents of Scarborough will be welcome to participate in a unique event every Sunday. It is a day set aside to help research their family trees. The Council Records Office in North Yorkshire County is taking registrations for a family history “day school” intended to aid beginning genealogists in their initial research.

 

The Sunday sessions will provide access to parish and non conformist records as well as give lessons on how to use census and registration records. The study days will be headed by Jackie Depelle, a local history tutor and Records Office staff will be on hand to assist participants.

Read the full article …

Too bad it isn’t a bit closer to home.

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Special Programs to Highlight National Archives Records in March

Washington, DC. . . In March, the National Archives will feature a series of programs highlighting records from its holdings.  All programs are free and open to the public (unless otherwise noted) and will be held in the National Archives Building and at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland The National Archives Building is located on Constitution Avenue, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC.  Visitors to all programs in the National Archives Building should use the Constitution Avenue entrance, except for programs in the Research Center.

 

For Research Center programs, the public should the Pennsylvania Avenue

entrance, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW.  The National Archives at College Park, MD is located at 8601 Adelphi Road.  For directions to both locations, see:  http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro.

But grandma never carried a gun
Locating Women Using Records Created by the Military Friday, March 7, 10:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Jefferson Room, National Archives Building Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL, will provide an overview of records created by the military which will help researchers locate information on the women who were the mothers, wives and sisters of soldiers. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333.

Effective internet genealogy searching
Wednesday, March 12, 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Washington Room, National Archives Building Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, will provide instruction on how to search the Internet when conducting research.  Participants will learn ways to creatively and effectively search the Internet for hidden tidbits to help them progress in their family history research. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check(payable to NATF) at the door.  Call 202-357-5333.

Beginning your Irish genealogy research in US sources
Friday, March 14, 10:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m., Jefferson Room, National Archives Building Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, will cover the basics of finding the origin of Irish ancestors using resources available in the United States.  She will share strategies for using passenger lists, immigration records, military records, census records, city directories, and other original sources of value in tracking down the origin of Irish immigrants.  Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333

Footnotes
Tuesday, March 4, 10:00 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance National Archives Librarian Jeffery Hartley will discuss how the National Archives and Footnote.com are working as partners to bring unprecedented access to selections of the vast holdings of the National Archives.  He will focus on what is currently available and how to access and use Footnote.com.  (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, March 6, at 10 a.m.)

Civil War records at Footnote.com
Tuesday, March 4, 11:00 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives BuildingResearch Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entranceBeau Sharbrough, Vice President of Content for Footnote.com, willdiscuss Civil War records at Footnote.com.  (This lecture will berepeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture RoomB, on Thursday, March 6, at 11 a.m.)

Irish history
Thursday, March 13, 11 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance Fintan Mullan, Executive Director of the Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast, will discuss Irish records and Irish migration to America.

Researching electronic records via the access to archival databases (AAD)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 11 a.m., Room G-24, National ArchivesBuilding Research CenterPlease use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance Archives Specialist Lynn Goodsell will offer an introduction to electronic (“digitally-born”) records of interest to genealogists and how to access the records online via the Access to Archival Databases(AAD) resource.  (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, March 20, at11a.m.)

From the records book group
Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 11 a.m. and noon, Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center  – Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance Following a lecture at 11 a.m. on records relating to Gettysburg, the Book Group will discuss These Honored Dead:  How the Story of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory, by Thomas A. Desjardin.  Please check the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) for book availability and a special discount for participants.  NOTE:  April’s book selection is All You Need is Love: the Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s, by Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman

SAVE THE DATE!
National Archives Genealogy Fair The National Archives’ annual Genealogy Fair will take place Wednesday, April 23, from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., in the National Archives Building Research Center.  This event is free and open to the public.

Both Archives facilities are fully accessible.  To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program, please email public.program@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event.  To verify the date and times of the programs, the public should call 202-357-5333, or view the Calendar of Events on the web at: http://www.archives.gov/calendar.

 

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Bronner Burgess Obituary

01/23/08. I am saddened to report on the passing of William Bronner Burgess, age 2, after falling into an indoor swimming pool at home. Bronner is the son of Rick and Sherri Burgess. You may know Rick from The Rick and Bubba Show, where he is co-host. Our thoughts are with the entire Burgess Family during this painful time. Rick and Sherri have three other sons, Blake, Brooks and Brody, and a daughter, Brandi.

 

 

To read the full obituary from The Jacksonville News, click here.

 

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National Archives Announces Extended Research Room Hours

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, February 1, 2008
National Archives Announces Extended Research Room Hours

Washington, DC. . . Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein announced today that the National Archives will restore its evening and weekend hours in its Washington, DC and College Park, MD, research rooms. Effective the week of April 14, 2008, the extended hours will be 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Saturday. Hours on Monday and Tuesday will continue to be 9 A.M to 5 P.M.

Congress and the President provided a one-time appropriation of $1.3 million in the National Archives Fiscal Year 2008 budget to restore these hours. The funds will be used to hire new archival research room staff and to cover the costs of utilities, maintenance, and security during the extended hours.

“I am very grateful to the Congress and the President for their recognition of the importance of making our documentary heritage as widely available as possible. Extending the research room hours goes a long way in helping us attain this goal.

This increase in hours underlines our commitment to open government,” the Archivist said in making the announcement. “I would also like to acknowledge the enthusiastic support of our user communities,” he added.

Research room hours at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC and at the College Park facility were reduced in October 2006 as a cost-savings measure. Since then, the National Archives has had extended hours only once a month on Thursday and Friday evenings and on Saturdays. Prior to October 2006, the National Archives extended hours were Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The change from Tuesday to Wednesday evening late hours was implemented to make it more convenient and cost-effective for out-of-town researchers who travel to the National Archives for research.

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For more information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

 

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International Collections – World Vital Records

Posted by Diane Haddad at Genealogy Insider…

Starting Monday, Feb. 4, FamilyLink’s World Vital Records subscription database site will be outfitted with a new, gargantuan World Collection of international records.  Built through partnerships with more than 20 record-holding organizations, the World Collection has more than 1.5 billion records from about 35 countries, including England, Canada, Australia, France, Ireland, Scotland, Hungary and Portugal.

 

It’ll double World Vital Records’ offerings.  Some of the new collection’s major components (more…)

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