Forwarding NCH Washington Update, 23 Sept. 2005, which includes a Katrina Update. Maarja
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NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 11, #36; 23 SEPTEMBER 2005)
by Bruce Craig (editor) [log in to unmask] with Nathaniel Kulyk
NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY (NCH)
Website at http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~nch
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1. CONSTITUTION DAY EVENTS HELD ACROSS THE COUNTRY
2. BRADEMAS CENTER MAKES ITS PROGRAMMATIC DEBUT
3. CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PANEL MEETS
4. KATRINA ASSISTANCE UPDATE
5. BITS AND BYTES: History Now Webpage; Historian Gets MacArthur Grant; Revised FOIA Guide
6. ARTICLES OF INTEREST: "Teaching 9/11" (The Nation)
1. CONSTITUTION DAY EVENTS HELD ACROSS THE COUNTRY
In an effort to comply with a new federal law mandating that publicly funded schools and universities as well as federal agencies should, in some way, observe Constitution Day (17 September), hundreds of institutions across the nation held events this last week to commemorate the nation's founding document. Millions of copies of the Constitution were distributed throughout the country and hundreds of readings, lectures, and special events were sponsored by educational and governmental institutions.
Because 17 September fell on a Saturday this year, most events were held the day before. Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) who authored legislation last year delivered the Tom E. Moses Memorial Lecture on the U.S. Constitution at the Robert C, Byrd Center for Legislative Studies at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia on Friday. Byrd's presentation was broadcast over C-SPAN (for video clips go to www.c-spanclassroom.org ) which had partnered with the National Archives and Records Administration, the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, and other organizations to deliver a wide range of broadcast programs throughout the day commemorating the Constitution.
Because the regulations for the new law are extremely loose -- institutions could do practically anything they wished to commemorate the day - and as it happens, they did. One college baked three large birthday cakes with the Constitution and Bill or Rights written in the icing which enabled students to literally devour the constitution. At the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, rather than give mere lip service extolling the time-honored virtues embodied in the Constitution, students were invited to propose additions or changes to the nation's founding document on large boards mounted at various campus locations. One community college in Texas put students to the test by holding a "Constitution Day Jeopardy" contest in which prizes were awarded to students with the deepest knowledge of the Constitution. However, Vanderbilt University probably offered the most controversial program: Edward Rubin, dean of the Vanderbilt law school led a panel questioning the constitutionality of Byrd's Constitution Day law that Rubin argued "honors the Constitution by violating it."
Most college campuses though stuck to conventional lectures. Because the U.S. Supreme Court is currently in the news due to the pending nomination of Judge John Roberts to become Chief Justice, some institutions focused their programs on the Constitutional provisions relating to the Supreme Court.
Educational institutions planning their special events had access to any amount of web-based Constitution related information made available by scores of federal, state and private institutions. One of the most comprehensive sites to emerge out of this effort is the National Constitution Center's http://www.constitutionday.us . The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), led by the EDSITEment Project and the "We the People Program," also set up a special website to help deepen understanding about the Constitution. An assortment of documents, background essays, and bibliographies allows for a quick reference on the history of the Constitution, the debates surrounding its creation, and the Founding Fathers who authored it. This website can be viewed at http://edsitement.neh.gov/ConstitutionDay/constitution_index2.html.
2. BRADEMAS CENTER MAKES ITS PROGRAMMATIC DEBUT
On 15 September 2005, the John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress, a new institution affiliated with New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, held its first public program: the annual Bernard and Irene Schwartz Lecture on Congress to a packed audience at the Library of Congress. The program featured presentations by two distinguished members of Congress: Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) and Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD). In their formal remarks both senators explored the dynamic tension that exists between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government.
The invitation-only event espoused the Brademas Center's core mission: that of focusing attention on the processes by which the Congress of the United States shapes policy. After being introduced by the center's founder - former Indiana Congressman and NYU President, Dr. John Brademas -- Senator Lugar delivered a finely crafted 20-minute presentation that focused on the institutional strengths and weaknesses of Congress in relation to the Executive department in the arena of foreign policy. Lugar noted the huge staffing and hence informational and analytical advantage that the Executive Branch has in formulating foreign policy, a fact that makes congressional oversight a challenge. Senator Sarbanes delivered a less focused more off-the-cuff talk that addressed Congresses role in the formulation of domestic policy.
After the lectures, Brademas called on veteran political commentator Dr. Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar of the American Enterprise Institute, to deliver some comments and moderate a question and answer session. Ornstein had little positive to say about how Congress has been operating recently. Ornstein stated that much has changed over the last thirty years in terms of how Congress operates. He lamented the decline of Congress's institutional autonomy, independence, and authority, especially vis-a-vis the Executive branch. He noted that under the present Republican administration Congressional leaders have become merely "lieutenants in the President's army" and consequently Congressional oversight is virtually non-existent. He took various committees, especially the appropriations committees to task for providing little fiscal oversight and noted that the huge number of recent earmarks hardly served the national interest.
Changes in the rules, stated Ornstein, have brought an end to any and all meaningful debate in the House. Above all though, he lamented the "collapse of the center" where in the past members of both parties were able to work across institutional and party lines to accomplish great things. Today, stated Ornstein, there is an overarching attitude (particularly by Republicans) that the "ends justify the means." All in all, Ornstein characterized today's Congressional environment as "tribal" and he called on Congress to reinstitute its independence of the White House and reinvigorate its traditional institutional roles.
The activities of the Brademas Center are supported by a grant directed by the U.S. Congress as well as by private contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. For more on the center, visit http://www.nyu.edu/ofp/brademascenter .
3. CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PANEL MEETS
The Central Intelligence Agency's Historical Review Panel (HRP) has released a statement regarding its most recently convened meeting in which a number of topics related to the usage, declassification, and release of historical documents for public use were at the core of discussion. The HRP focused on the CIA's contribution to the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series. There was a continuation of the debate over outstanding controversial matters relating to the yet to be released FRUS Congo volume and for a pending volume on Iran circa 1950-55. In addition, HRP discussed the standards that should guide the declassification of documents related to the FRUS and the ways in which deliberations might be accelerated.
Other topics addressed during the meeting of the HRP included a discussion of issues relating to the collection and release of documents related to the Warsaw Pact; the usage of CIA documents under the 25-Year Program at the National Archives; ways of increasing the number of documents that are reviewed and released to the public; a review of a proposed release of National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs) on Vietnam and plans for similar releases in other areas. The HRP (which meets twice annually) is expected to meet again in December.
The Central Intelligence Agency's Historical Review Panel (HRP) was formed in 1995, and replaced a similar panel that was less formally organized and that had met only periodically. The HRP advises the Central Intelligence Agency on systematic and automatic declassification review under the provisions of Executive Order 12958 as amended; assists in developing subjects of historical and scholarly interest for the Intelligence Community declassification review program; advises the CIA and the Intelligence Community on declassification issues in which the DCIA's statutory responsibility to protect intelligence sources and methods potentially conflicts with mandated declassification priorities; provides guidance for the historical research and writing programs of the CIA History Staff, and when appropriate, review draft products; and advises Information Management Services on its voluntary declassification review initiatives and the Center for the Study of Intelligence on its academic outreach programs.
The HRP, like the other DCIA panels, is convened at the pleasure of the Director of the CIA to provide confidential advice and assessments. According to an HRP statement, the HRP's advice to the DCIA "is completely frank and candid," and hence panel recommendations are not reported in detail, but because the panel's primary concern is the program of declassification and the release of information to the public, it does seek to inform the interested public of the subjects and problems that the panel is discussing.
Members of the HRP include Professor Robert Jervis of Columbia University who serves as Chair, Dr. Lewis Bellardo of the National Archives and Records Administration, Professor Melvyn Leffler of the University of Virginia, Professor Robert Pastor of American University, Professor Marc Trachtenberg of UCLA, Professor Betty Unterberger of Texas A&M University, and Professor Ruth Wedgwood of Johns Hopkins University.
4. KATRINA ASSISTANCE UPDATE
Reports to the NCH office suggest that Mississippi appears to be somewhat ahead of Louisiana in access to and recovery of records - largely because of the type of damage that occurred. Collections are being evacuated from coastal locations and architects and engineers have been assessing damage to Jefferson Davis's home, Beauvoir; the good news is that the house appears restorable. There still remain some serious questions about the status of public records in Hancock and Jefferson counties.
In Louisiana and New Orleans in particular there are a variety of things to report: the Jean Lafite collections have been moved out of New Orleans and the University of New Orleans archives appears to be dry. Power has been restored to the Notarial Archives and most of the 19th and 20th century records there have now been removed. Wet books and some records have been sent to Chicago for vacuum freeze-drying and the rest of the records have been placed in climate controlled trucks and are awaiting storage space
In an effort to assist in the hurricane relief effort, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has assembled two teams to visit Louisiana and Mississippi for the purpose of assessing the damage to historical resources and to rescue them. Working in cooperation with the American Institute for Conservation, the Southeast Museums Conference, the Louisiana Museums Association, and the Mississippi Museums Association, the AASLH hopes to be able to send follow-up teams to work with different museums and sites to help preserve the resources. It is important that this endeavor has all the help and financial support it needs to ensure that it is a success. Anyone who is interested in volunteering to be on a team can send their information to [log in to unmask]
The AASLH is looking for additional help as well. Anyone who has access to conservation supplies is encouraged to contact Richard Waterhouse, the director of the Southeast Museums Conference, at [log in to unmask] Individuals willing to contribute frequent flyer miles to help the teams get to the sites can e-mail Sharin Barkmeier at [log in to unmask] Monetary contributions are also greatly appreciated. Donations can be made online at www.aaslh.org or checks can be sent in the mail to 1717 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37203.
Finally, the Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA) and the Society of American Archivists (SAA) have announced the creation of the SSA-SAA Emergency Disaster Assistance Grant Fund -- a fund established to address the stabilization and recovery needs of archival repositories that have been directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. Any repository that holds archival records or special collections and that is located in Hurricane Katrina-affected areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, or Mississippi is eligible to apply for a grant. The repository need not be a member of SSA or SAA. Grant monies may be used for the direct recovery of damaged or at-risk archival materials; such services as freeze drying, storage, transportation of materials, and rental facilities; supplies, including acid-free boxes and folders, storage cartons, cleaning materials, plastic milk crates, and protective gear; and to defray the costs for volunteers or other laborers who assist with the recovery.
The SSA/SAA are also inviting colleagues to support the fund; to this end visit http://www.archivists.org/katrina/contribute.asp in order to make a donation; both the SAA and SSA have each contributed $5,000 in seed money to establish the fund. Contributions by fax (using a credit card) maybe made by calling (312) 347-1452 or via snail mail to: Society of American Archivists, Attn: EDA Grant Fund, 527 South Wells Street, Fifth Floor, Chicago, IL 60607.
Organizations in need of assistance may apply for an initial grant of up to $2,000, though additional requests may be considered if funds remain available. Approved grant payments may be made directly to a service provider, upon the grantee's request, if an itemized invoice is presented. Recipients will be asked to provide a financial accounting of expenditures made using the award within six months of receiving the funding. A short application form is available on the SAA website at http://www.archivists.org/katrina/apply.asp. Or, if organizations prefer, a a letter may be submitted containing the information listed below. Ideally, the letter should come from the head of an organization, but it may come from a primary contact. Please include contact information for both the head of the organization and the primary contact if these are different individuals. Send the letter to: SSA President Brenda Gunn, Assistant Director for Research and Collections, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, D1100, Austin, TX 78712; 512-495-4385; 512-495-4542 (fax); [log in to unmask] The letter of application should address the following: the mission of the repository; a brief description of archival collection(s); a description of damage to the affected collection(s) (which may include supporting photographs or digital images); how much funding is being requested; a brief description of how the funds will be used; what other sources of funding are available to the repository; and if selected, to whom the check should be made payable.
A review panel comprising four SSA former presidents and the immediate past treasurer, along with one member of the SAA Council, will review applications and select the grant recipients. The committee will score proposals based on the application criteria. The Society of American Archivists is responsible for financial administration of the fund.
5. BITS AND BYTES
Item #1 - History Now Webpage: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is pleased to present the fifth issue of HISTORY NOW, an online journal for teachers and students of history. The current issue examines the abolitionist movement in the United States. Sylvia Frey and Ronald Walters look at the history of the antislavery movement; Carol Berkin, Margaret Washington, and Steven Mintz relay the stories of various individuals who participated in the abolitionist cause; and Robert Abzug studies the influence and impact that religion had among the abolitionists. The journal also provides an extensive list of resources for teachers, as well as an interactive map that traces the path of freedom in the 1850s. It is now available for viewing at http://www.historynow.org/09_2005/historian.html.
Item #2 - Historian Gets MacArthur Grant: University of California - San Diego Associate Professor of History Emily Thompson was named one of the MacArthur Foundation's 2005 Fellows. Prof. Thompson, whose groundbreaking work in the field of aural (or sound history) will recieve a half-million dollar "no-strings" grant over the next five years. Thompson's interests are focused on the changes in acoustic design as reflections of a larger cultural and social shift in American life in the early 20th century. Her most recent project is centered on the role of engineers and industry technicians in the transition to synchronized sound in cinema, which promises to be an innovative analysis in this historical field.
Each year, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards approximately twenty-five Fellowship awards. First created as a grant program in 1981, Fellows are selected for their creativity, originality, and potential. A Selection Committee of twelve members, who serve anonymously, meet regularly to discuss the files of nominees and to make their recommendations to the Foundation's Board of Directors. A list of this year's MacArthur Fellows can be viewed online at http://www.macfound.org/programs/fel/winners_overview.htm. The MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grant making institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition. Since its establishment in 1978, the foundation has awarded approximately $180 million in grants.
Item # 3 - Revised FOIA Guide: The House Committee on Government Reform has published a new edition of its popular "Citizen's Guide on Using the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 to Request Government Records." The Guide, first published in 1977, "is one of the most widely read congressional committee reports in history," the new edition says. A copy of the updated Guide, House Report 109-226, 20 September 2005, is available at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/foia/citizen.html
6. ARTICLES OF INTEREST
One posting this week: U.C. Irvine history professor Jon Wiener's article "Teaching 9/11" in the 26 September 2005 edition of "The Nation" magazine examines how the events of 11 September 2001 are being taught in the classroom. Wiener takes a close look at the politics of 9/11 and how it has been incorporated into history textbooks written over the past three years. Among other points, Weiner argues that the debate on how 9/11 should be taught is overshadowed by the simple fact that there is a great deal of American history that students are expected to know, and there is so little time to teach all of it. For the article, tap into: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050926/wiener .
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