I usually forward this each week only to the Archives List, not to Recmgmt-L, but am sending today's newsletter along to you all due to the Katrina info it contains.

Maarja
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From:   [log in to unmask]
To:     <[log in to unmask]>
Date:   9/15/2005 10:06:08 AM
Subject:        NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 11, #35; 15 SEPTEMBER 2005)

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NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 11, #35; 15 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.  JOHN G. ROBERTS – “HISTORIAN”
2.  SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES REVISIONS TO HIGHER EDUCATION ACT – NEW
HISTORY LANGUAGE INCLUDED
3.  KATRINA UPDATE
4.  BITS AND BYTES:  LBJ Oral History Project Online; NEH “We the People”
Bookshelf Announced
5.  ARTICLES OF INTEREST: “UNESCO Treaty to Protect Oral Traditions On
Track to Enter Into Force Next Year” (UN News Centre)


1.  JOHN G. ROBERTS – “HISTORIAN”
It is fairly well known that President Bush’s nominee to serve as Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, John G. Roberts, majored in history as an
undergraduate at Harvard University.  There is evidence to suggest that
Roberts seriously contemplated becoming a history professor, and, based on
his undergraduate record, he was well on his way to fulfilling that
aspiration.  Roberts’s interest in history also appears to have continued
long after graduation and has served him well in his career as a lawyer and
judge.

As an undergraduate at Harvard Roberts finished his undergraduate work in
three years and graduated Summa Cum Laude.  He won two awards for papers
while at Harvard – one entitled “Marxism and Bolshevism: Theory and
Practice” and the other “The Utopian Conservative: A Study of Continuity
and Change in the Thought of Daniel Webster.” Copies of the former paper
have not been located, but the later paper provides some insight into
Roberts’s personal decision to pursue a legal career.  The paper reflects
his admiration for Webster – both as a lawyer and a man.  The paper
describes what Roberts characterized as a particular type of “Websterian
man” – a person “not bound by the sectional and divisive influences of
party politics…[a man who] raised himself above the conflict and stilled it
through dispassionate compromise.”  One can hope that as Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court Roberts will aspire to cultivate in himself such
qualities.

A third work -- Roberts’s senior history thesis entitled “Old and New
Liberalism: The British Liberal Party’s Approach to Social Problems,
1906-1914” -- ran some 166 pages and focused on the rise and subsequent
decline of the Liberal party in early 20th century politics.  Boston
College professor of history James Cronin who recently was shown a copy of
the work, characterized it as “an impressive piece of work: it is
well-written and quite thoughtfully argued and it appears that Roberts has
done a good deal of research and has read the most recent
literature.”  Though the article was written some thirty years ago and
Roberts’s views in the intervening years may certainly have changed, Cronin
adds, “What I’ve read provides little cause to regard Roberts as especially
right-wing or ideological.”

Another document has now come to light that reflects Robert’s continuing
interest in historical scholarship.  It is an article entitled “Oral
Advocacy and the Re-emergence of a Supreme Court Bar” published this year
in an issue of the Journal of Supreme Court History (2005, Vol. 30 No. 1;
pp 68-81).  In this most recent writing Roberts reflects on the historical
trend toward “discernible professionalization among the advocates before
the Supreme Court” (of which Roberts is one) and traces the role that oral
advocacy has had on the court.

Reading between the lines, the article suggests that Roberts has a
tremendous respect for the history of the Supreme Court as an
institution.  Furthermore, his training as a historian is reflected in how
he examines case law, analyzes statutes, and probes for weaknesses in
arguments.  There is no question he values legal precedent.

The article focuses on the historical role that Supreme Court specialists
have played in the operations of the court.   To that end Roberts central
conclusion is that “oral argument is terribly, terribly important.”  He
compares these court specialists to medieval stonemasons who spent months
carving intricate gargoyles in high cathedrals where practically nobody
would see their work: “The stone masons did it because they were carving
for the eye of God,” wrote Roberts. Similarly, “the advocate who stands
before the Supreme Court also needs to infuse his craft with a higher
purpose.  He must appreciate that what happens here, in case after mundane
case, is extraordinary – the vindication of the rule of law…the higher
purpose will steel him for the long and lonely work of preparation…and will
forge a special bond with his colleagues at the Supreme Court bar.”

2.  SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES REVISIONS TO HIGHER EDUCATION ACT – NEW
HISTORY LANGUAGE INCLUDED
On 6 September 2005, Senators Michael B. Enzi (R-WY) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
introduced legislation (S. 1614) to reauthorize programs associated with
the Higher Education Act of 1965.  Two days later, the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions reported the bill out with minor revisions.
Among the titles included in the bill is one focusing on history-related
postsecondary grant programs.

Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions spent all of a half-hour making minor revisions to the bill and
then passing the measure by a unanimous vote of 20-0.  Among other things
the bill leaves in place the current formula for distributing funds for the
Perkins Loan, Federal Work Study, and Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grant Programs.  The legislation does make changes to the Pell Grant
Program, raising the program income eligibility cutoff to $20,000; the bill
also increases the ceiling to which appropriators can raise the maximum
Pell award to $5,100 in 2006-07.

But of direct interest to the historical community is language in Section
851 of the measure entitled “American History for Freedom.”  This section
authorizes the Secretary of Education to award three-year competitive
grants to institutions of higher education for the purpose of strengthening
postsecondary academic programs that promote and impart knowledge of
“traditional American history; the history, nature, and threats to free
institutions; and the history and achievements of Western Civilization.”

As was the case during the last Congress when a similar measure was
introduced (the bill became stalled in the House shortly before adjournment
and never passed), this Congress’s bill version includes a definition of
“traditional” American history: “the significant constitutional, political,
intellectual, economic, and foreign policy trends and issued that have
shaped the course of American history; and the key episodes, turning
points, and leading figures involved in the constitutional, political,
intellectual, diplomatic and economic history of the United
States.”  Notably absent is any mention of “social” history or any notion
of “comparative” history.

If this legislation passes the appropriated funds would be used to design
and implement programs of study, individual courses, lecture series,
seminars, symposia and the like.  In addition, funds may be used for the
development and publication of instructional materials, research, support
for undergraduate and graduate programs, student and teacher fellowships,
and teacher preparation programs that stress “content mastery.”  Not only
would grants be made available to traditional educational agencies such as
colleges and universities, but also eligible “nonprofit organizations” such
as museums and libraries, “whose mission is consistent” with the purposes
of this act.

The legislation does not include any specific appropriation authorization
but merely states that funds “are authorized to be appropriated…as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2006 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal
years.”  Action in the Senate is expected in the coming months; no
companion bill has yet been introduced in the House.

3.  KATRINA UPDATE
As relief and recovery efforts continue along the Gulf Coast in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, work is concentrating on assessments of
damage to museums, libraries, archives, historic structures, and sites of
historic interest.

As reports continue to be logged in by the American Association of Museums
(see http://www.aam-us.org/aamlatest/news/HurricaneFirstReports.cfm ) it
appears that in spite of individual horror stories, historic sites in New
Orleans, since they generally were constructed on higher land, have been
incredibly lucky.  Staff members of the Historic New Orleans Collection
were able to enter the French Quarter with an escort of state
police.  Their buildings and collections were “high and dry” and much of
the material has been moved to institutions elsewhere in Louisiana.  At the
present time, it has been reported that while the city’s archives was
spared from flooding, concerns remain about documents left exposed to the
humidity which may result in their destruction from mold.

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has set up a
Historical Resources Recovery Fund, which can be viewed at
http://www.aaslh.org/katrina.htm .  Organizations that are going to need
financial support in this recovery effort include the New Orleans Public
Library, which houses a number of un-microfilmed records of the city’s
civil, criminal, and probate courts and the University of New Orleans,
which houses the records of the state’s Supreme Court.  While all of the
aquatic life at the city’s aquarium was lost, the majority of animals at
the zoo were quickly transported to other facilities across the
country.  Reports also indicate that the New Orleans Notarial Records have
been packed into freezer trucks to ensure their preservation.  And despite
seemingly overwhelming odds, Dillard University president Marvalene Hughes
remains determined that her campus, viewed by many as a cultural and
historical jewel in its own right, will ultimately recover from the
devastation.

Reports are also coming in from other areas along the Gulf Coast.  At the
present time, no fewer than 20 Mississippi libraries have endangered
collections and continue to be without power.  The public libraries in
Biloxi and Pascagoula apparently have been completely destroyed.  By
contrast, archives and records centers in Florida have been reported as
surviving the storm satisfactorily.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is reaching out to the
history and cultural communities and is now working closely with the State
Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) to gather as much information as
possible about all of the cultural institutions and specifically determine
which have been directly affected by Katrina.  FEMA is hiring 15-20
Historic Preservation Specialists for the purpose of providing technical
assistance to the disaster programs to fulfill the necessary legal
responsibilities under various historic preservation laws.  In addition,
the specialists will assist FEMA in integrating historic preservation
considerations into the development and review of projects proposed for
funding.  For interested parties, additional information regarding the job
description and contact information can be found at:
http://www.planetizen.com/node/17342 .

In an effort to help with the prompt recovery of historic places,
collections, and records in the future, the National Park Service (NPS) has
created the Historic Preservation Learning Portal, which can be viewed at
www.historicpreservation.gov .  Working in collaboration with FEMA, the
United States Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, and 15
additional Federal agencies, the Historic Preservation Leaning Portal is a
powerful new tool to provide a direct link to all historic preservation
information on the Internet.  Individuals can quickly find Federal agency
sites, the sites of historical preservation offices, state historic
preservation offices, and the sites of non-profit and professional
historical organizations.  The system does not require keywords and will
allow for a specific question to be asked, resulting in a range of
information on the particular subject.  There are currently over 1,000
historic preservation sites that have been indexed by the portal.

In response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Academy of Certified
Archivists (ACA) has joined with the Society of American Archivists (SAA)
and the National Association for Government Archivists and Records
Administration (NAGARA) in issuing a joint statement recognizing the tragic
losses and offering continued support as the region rebuilds.  To this end,
the ACA has offered their members who live in the affected regions easier
ways to retain their CA status.  Membership dues will be waived for one
year for any CA in the affected area; any impacted CA who is due to
recertify in 2006-2007 will have a 2 year extension time; and a waiver on
the one-time ACA membership fee will be granted to new CA’s who passed the
exam in 2005.  The statement can be viewed at
http://www.certifiedarchivists.org/html/newsarch.html .

4.  BITS AND BYTES
Item # 1 – LBJ Oral History Project Online:  The Scripps Library at the
Miller Center of Public Affairs has made their “Lyndon B. Johnson Oral
History” project available online.  A collection of over 1,150 interview
transcripts from the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, may be
viewed online in .pdf format
at:
http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/diglibrary/oralhistory/ohp_display.php?project=1&check=0
. Each interview is fully searchable using the “binocular” button in Adobe
Acrobat.

Item # 2 – NEH “We the People” Bookshelf Announced:  On 8 September 2005,
the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced the third “We the
People Bookshelf” in which classic books targeted to younger readers (K-12)
are distributed free to libraries and institutions. This year’s theme
focuses on “becoming American.”  Some of the titles that appear on the new
bookshelf include “The Lotus Seed” by Sherry Garland, “Rip Van Winkle” by
Washington Irving, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith, and the
“Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin” edited by Louis P. Masur.  Working
through its partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), the
NEH will offer complete sets of the new bookshelf collection to schools and
libraries across the country.  A donation by the McCormick Tribune
Foundation doubles the potential distribution of this year’s books to
nearly 2,000 institutions.  The NEH is currently accepting applications for
the bookshelf; application guidelines and necessary forms may be accessed
at: http://www.wethepeople.gov/bookshelf/becomingamerican-guidelines.html .

5.  ARTICLES OF INTEREST
One posting this week:  In “UNESCO Treaty to Protect Oral Traditions On
Track to Enter Into Force Next Year” (UN News Centre; 15 September 2005),
an update is posted on the current status of the so-called Convention for
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.”  For the article, tap in
to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=15751&Cr=culture&Cr1=UNESCO .


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