National Archives Foundation

Inside the Vault: Holidays at the White House with Former White House Chefs
2024-12-04 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Join us as former White House chefs discuss their colorful experiences working in the White House during the holidays and what it was like to cook for the Presidents and their families. Moderated by Alex Prudhomme, author of Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House, the program will feature William Yosses, White House Executive Pastry Chef, 2007–14, John Moeller, White House Chef, 1992–2005, and author of Dining at the White House: From the President’s Table to Yours, and Capricia Penavic Marshall, Chief of Protocol from 2009-2013, and author of Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy and How to Make It Work for You.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

Native American Heritage Month Program: The American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
2024-11-25 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual
A panel of experts will discuss the American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and Yankton Dakota writer, educator, and political activist Zitkala-Sa’s role in its passage. The program will also cover citizenship through military service and Native Americans buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Acting Chief Operating Officer Jay Trainer from the National Archives will provide opening remarks; participating on the panel will be Rose Buchanan from the National Archives, Rachelle Pablo from the National Museum of the American Indian, and Steve Carney from Arlington National Cemetery. Amber Forrester from the National Archives will serve as moderator.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

Inside the Vault: Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany
2024-11-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual
Inside the Vault is a new series of monthly virtual public programs that will examine stories of the people, events, and ideas found in the records of the National Archives. A variety of special guests—authors, historians, and eyewitnesses—will be invited to participate and share their knowledge and experiences.

Join us to hear from Donald L. Miller, World War II expert and author of Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, and Kirk Saduski, co-producer of the related Apple TV+ miniseries. The book and series explore the riveting history of the American Eighth Air Force in World War II and the young men who flew the bombers that helped beat the Nazis and liberate Europe. The program will include clips from the series.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
2024-11-13 18:30 - 19:30 | The William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives and Virtual
As part of the National Archives’ Veterans Day celebrations, we will host a program honoring the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in partnership with the Friends of the National WWII Memorial. Joining us for this discussion are two veterans from the battle: Frank Cohn and Harry Miller. They will share their eyewitness accounts of this critical battle during WWII. The conversation will be moderated by Alex Kershaw, journalist and author of The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II’s Most Decorated Platoon and Patton’s Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Victory in World War II.

A book signing will follow the program.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

Keeping the Republic: A Defense of American Constitutionalism
2024-10-29 18:00 - 19:30 | Archivist’s Reception Room at the National Archives and Virtual
Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan will join authors Dennis Hale and Mark Landy to discuss their recent book, Keeping the Republic, a defense of the U.S. Constitution. Their central argument is that the Constitution provides for a free government because it places effective limits on the exercise of power—an essential ingredient of any good government, even one that aims to be a popular government.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Comcast Corporation, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble.

History, Heroes, & Treasures: Sleepover at the National Archives
2024-10-19 18:30 - 2024-10-20 09:00
A night of adventure awaits at the National Archives! Join us for a space-themed sleepover at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., and spend the night next to America’s most precious treasures, our founding documents. Campers will also meet the Archivist of the United States, Dr. Colleen Shogan.
The evening will be packed with fun and engaging activities for the entire family. Dive into our nation’s treasured records and learn about how space and science have changed the course of American history. You will also have a chance to meet and learn from astronaut Nicole Stott, who will be on hand to tell her inspiring story. The program will end on Sunday morning with a pancake breakfast served by the Archivist of the United States!
This event fills up quickly, so be sure to register early to secure your space. If the event does reach capacity, please send an email to info@archivesfoundation.com to be added to the waitlist.
This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

Black in Appalachia Podcast Recording
2024-10-15 19:00 - 20:30 | The William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives and Virtual
In conjunction with the National Archives’ current exhibition Power & Light: Russell Lee’s Coal Survey, we will host a live-recorded episode of the Black in Appalachia podcast moderated by Dr. Enkeshi El-Amin, who studies the link between race and place and Black community life in Appalachia and beyond. She will lead a discussion on Black life in Eastern Kentucky’s coal communities with Ron Carson, co-founder of the Appalachian African American Cultural Center (AAACC), and Dr. Karida Brown, professor of Sociology at Emory University, where she teaches courses on race and racism, sports and society, and historical archival methods.

Power & Light: Russell Lee’s Coal Survey and programs presented in conjunction with the exhibit are made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Mars Family & Mars, Incorporated and Anonymous.

Lovely One: A Memoir with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
2024-10-12 18:30 - 20:00 | The William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives, 701 Constitution Ave, Washington, District of Columbia, 20408, United States
The 2024 March On Festival will host a one-on-one discussion between Kai Wright, host of the podcast Notes From America With Kai Wright, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson about her new memoir, Lovely One, an unflinching account of her life and world, tracing her family’s ascent from segregation to her confirmation on America’s highest court as the first female Black justice within the span of one generation. Women of the Calabash, an acoustic vocal and percussion group, will perform.

Click here to register

Inside the Vault: National Treasure—Fact or Fiction
2024-10-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Inside the Vault is a new series of monthly virtual public programs that will examine stories of the people, events, and ideas found in the records of the National Archives. A variety of special guests—authors, historians, and eyewitnesses—will be invited to participate and share their knowledge and experiences.

For the first program in the series, we will examine what is arguably the most significant record in our holdings—the original signed Declaration of Independence—through the lens of the 2004 popular film National Treasure. Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan will moderate a discussion with Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, hosts of the National Treasure Hunt podcast and authors of National Treasure Hunt: One Step Short of Crazy. Come learn the stories of why the National Archives will be forever linked to National Treasure.

James Baldwin—Born With The Thunder
2024-10-06 14:00 - 16:30 | The William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives, 701 Constitution Ave, Washington, District of Columbia, 20408, United States
In partnership with the 2024 March on Washington Film Festival, a celebration of the centennial of writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin’s birth will be presented. The 1989 documentary The Price of the Ticket (87 mins.), featuring interviews with Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, and Baldwin himself, will be screened. Following the screening, Anthony Coley, political analyst and contributor, NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC, will moderate a discussion with filmmaker Karen Thorsen; Dr. Frank Leon Roberts, associate professor, English and Black Studies, Amherst University; and Cree Myles, influencer and curator/host of the podcast All Ways Black. The program will also include a performance of James by dancer, choreographer, actor, and educator Joseph Monroe Webb accompanied by drummer Keith Butler, Jr.

CLICK HERE to register

National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program: Meet Thomas Jefferson
2024-09-19 11:00 - 12:00
Thomas Jefferson, known as the author of the Declaration of Independence, was one of our nation’s founding fathers. Not only was he a lawyer, diplomat, and philosopher but also served as the first United States Secretary of State, the second Vice President, the third President. He also founded the University of Virginia, and drafted the Statute of Religious Freedom. Come learn how this Founding Father influenced the founding principles of our nation.

Thomas Jefferson is portrayed by Steve Edenbo of American Historical Theatre.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation, through the generous support of Comcast Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Procter & Gamble.

Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic
2024-09-10 18:00 - 19:00
Author Lindsay M. Chervinsky and Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan will discuss President John Adams and the second US presidency, the unique challenges faced by Adams, and how he shaped the office for his successors. Adams would rely on his ideas about executive power, the Constitution, politics, and the state of the world to navigate the hurdles of the position. He defended the presidency from his own often obstructionist cabinet, protected the nation from foreign attacks, and forged trust and dedication to election integrity and the peaceful transfer of power between parties.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation, through the generous support of Comcast Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Procter & Gamble.
