Editing Archivist of the United States

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{{short description|Chief official of the National Archives and Records Administration}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2018}}{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Archivist
| body = the United States
| flag = 
| flagsize = 
| flagborder = 
| flagcaption = 
| insignia = Seal of the United States National Archives and Records Administration.svg
| insigniasize = 120
| insigniacaption = Seal of the National Archives
| image = Official portrait of Secretary Marco Rubio.jpg
| incumbent = [[Marco Rubio]]
| incumbentsince = February 16, 2025
| department = [[National Archives and Records Administration]]
| style = Mr. Archivist
| status = [[Chief administrative officer|Chief administrator]]
| seat = [[National Archives Building]], [[Washington, D.C.]]
| appointer = The [[President of the United States|president]]
| appointer_qualified = with [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[advice and consent]]
| constituting_instrument = {{UnitedStatesCode|44|2103}}
| first = [[Robert Digges Wimberly Connor]]
| formation = June 19, 1934
| deputy = Deputy Archivist of the United States
| salary = [[Executive Schedule|Executive Schedule, level III]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.archives.gov/about/organization/senior-staff|archives.gov}}
| termlength = No fixed term
| acting = yes
}}
The '''archivist of the United States''' is the head and [[Chief administrative officer|chief administrator]] of the [[National Archives and Records Administration]] (NARA) of the [[United States]]. The archivist is responsible for the supervision and direction of the National Archives.<ref>{{USC|44|2102}}</ref>

The first archivist, [[Robert Digges Wimberly Connor|R. D. W. Connor]], began serving in 1934, when the National Archives was established as an [[United States independent agencies|independent federal agency]] by [[United States Congress|Congress]]. The archivists served as subordinate officials of the [[General Services Administration]] from 1949 until the National Archives and Records Administration became an independent agency again on April 1, 1985.

President [[Joe Biden]] nominated [[Colleen Joy Shogan]] for the position on August 3, 2022, with her being confirmed and sworn in by the [[United States Senate|Senate]] in May 2023. She was the first woman to hold the position permanently.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/117th-congress/2457 | title=PN2457 - Nomination of Colleen Joy Shogan for National Archives and Records Administration, 117th Congress (2021-2022) | date=August 3, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-09 |title=Shogan Confirmed by U.S. Senate as 11th Archivist of the United States |url=https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2023/nr23-31 |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=National Archives |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2023/nr23-33 |title=Shogan Assumes Office as 11th Archivist of the United States |date=2023-05-17 |publisher=National Archives and Records Administration |access-date=2023-05-18}}</ref> On January 6, 2025, President-elect [[Donald Trump]] stated in a phone interview with [[Hugh Hewitt]] that he intended to replace Shogan as head of the [[National Archives and Records Administration]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/us/politics/trump-national-archives.html | title=Trump Says He'll Replace the National Archives Leader | work=The New York Times | last1=Haberman | first1=Maggie | last2=Gold | first2=Michael | last3=Barrett | first3=Devlin | date=January 6, 2025 }}</ref> and on February 7, 2025, it was reported that Shogan had been fired as the national archivist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Watson |first=Kathryn |date=2025-02-07 |title=Trump fires archivist of the United States, official who oversees government records - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-fires-archivist-of-the-united-states-colleen-shogan/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gangel |first=Donald Judd, Betsy Klein, Jamie |date=2025-02-08 |title=Trump administration dismisses national archivist {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/07/politics/colleen-shogan-trump-dismisses-national-archivist/index.html |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

== Background and role ==
The archivist is appointed by the [[President of the United States|president]] with the [[advice and consent]] of the [[United States Senate|Senate]] and is responsible for safeguarding and making available for study all the permanently valuable records of the federal government, including the original [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] and [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]], which are displayed in the Archives' main building in [[Washington, D.C.]]

Under {{USPL|98|497}}, the archivist also must maintain custody of [[State legislature (United States)|state]] ratifications of [[Constitutional amendment#United States|amendments]] to the Constitution. It is the archivist's duty to issue a certificate [[Promulgation|proclaiming]] a particular amendment duly ratified and part of the Constitution if the legislatures of at least three-quarters of the states approve the proposed amendment.<ref>{{USPL|98|497}}</ref> The Amendment and its certificate of ratification are then published in the ''[[Federal Register]]'' and the amendment is included in the [[United States Statutes at Large]]. Before the enactment of that statute in 1984, that duty was vested in the [[General Services Administration]], and, before the establishment of that agency in 1949, it formed part of the duties of the United States Secretary of State.

In accordance with {{USC|1|2|106a}} of the [[United States Code]], the archivist of the United States also receives the original version of all statutes of the United States, once enacted.<ref>{{USC|1|106a}}</ref> [[Joint resolution]]s and [[acts of Congress]] signed into law by the president are delivered by the [[Executive Office of the President of the United States|Office of the President]] to the National Archives. The same happens if a bill becomes law because the president fails to approve or [[Veto power in the United States|veto]] it. If the president vetoes a bill but the presidential veto is overridden, the new law is transmitted to the National Archives not by the office of the president, but by Congress: in this case, the presiding officer of the last house to consider the bill certifies that the presidential objection was overridden, and sends the new law to the archivist. In all cases, the National Archives maintains custody of the original document and (by means of the [[Office of the Federal Register]], a division of the National Archives), assigns the new Act of Congress a public law number, provides for its publication as a slip law and for the inclusion of the new statute in the ''United States Statutes at Large''. The actual printing and circulation of the slip law and of the volumes of the ''[[United States Statutes at Large]]'' is the responsibility of the [[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Publishing Office]], headed by the [[Director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office]].

By means of the Office of the Federal Register, the National Archives also publishes documents of the Executive Branch, such as presidential proclamations and executive orders, retaining custody of the original signed documents. The National Archives also has many duties regarding the preservation of presidential papers and materials.

In all United States presidential elections, the archivist also has duties concerning the custody of [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]] documents, such as [[certificates of ascertainment]] declaring the names of the presidential electors chosen in each state, and of the certificates of vote produced by the electors of each state.<ref>{{usc|3|6|13}}</ref> In practice, these administrative responsibilities are delegated to the Director of the Federal Register.<ref>[https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/roles.html#ofr U. S. Electoral College: Roles and Responsibilities]</ref>

==Archivists of the United States==
The following persons served as the Archivist of the United States:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists |title=Archivists of the United States 1934 - Present |publisher=U.S. National Archives and Records Administration}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="clear:right; text-align:center"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | {{Abbr|No.|Number}}{{efn|A dash denotes Acting Archivist of the United States.}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Portrait
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Archivist
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Term
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Appointed by
! scope="col" rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | {{Reference heading}}
|-
! scope="col" data-sort-type="date" | Start
! scope="col" data-sort-type="date" | End
|-
|1
| [[File:Robert-connor-l.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Robert Digges Wimberly|Connor}}
| October 10, 1934
| September 15, 1941
| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Franklin D.|Roosevelt}}
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Robert D.W. Connor, First Archivist of the United States (Archivist: 1934–1941) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/connor.html |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|-
|2
| [[File:Solon J. Buck, Second Archivist of the United States - DPLA - f3dfb033bc2305b19dfce1f19716b5ee.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Solon J.|Buck}}
| September 18, 1941
| May 31, 1948
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Solon Justus Buck, Second Archivist of the United States (Archivist: 1941–1948) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/buck.html |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|-
|3
| [[File:Portrait of Wayne C. Grover, Third Archivist of the United States, ca. 1948 (12238610943).jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Wayne C.|Grover}}
| June 2, 1948
| November 6, 1965
| {{sortname|Harry S.|Truman}}
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Wayne Grover, Third Archivist of the United States (1948–1965) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/grover.html |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
| –
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[File:Portrait of Robert Bahmer, Fourth Archivist of the United States, ca. 1965 (12238837864).jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Robert H.|Bahmer}}
| November 7, 1965{{efn|Served first as Acting Archivist of the United States from November 7, 1965, until his appointment as Archivist of the United States on January 16, 1966}}
| January 16, 1966
| rowspan="4" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{sortname|Lyndon B.|Johnson}}
|
|-
|4
| January 16, 1966
| March 9, 1968
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Robert H. Bahmer, Fourth Archivist of the United States (Archivist: 1965–1968) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/bahmer.html |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
| –
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[File:Portrait of James B. Rhoads, Fifth Archivist of the United States, ca. 1968 (12238838874).jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | {{sortname|James B.|Rhoads}}
| March 10, 1968{{efn|Served first as Acting Archivist of the United States from March 10, 1968, until his appointment as Archivist of the United States on May 2, 1968}}
| May 2, 1968
|
|-
|5
| May 2, 1968
| August 31, 1979
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Robert H. Bahmer, Fourth Archivist of the United States (Archivist: 1965–1968) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/rhoads.html |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:James O'Neill Official Portrait.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | [[James E. O'Neill]]
| September 1, 1979
| July 23, 1980
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{sortname|Jimmy|Carter}}
| <ref>{{cite web |title=James E. O'Neill, Acting Archivist of the United States (1979-1980) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/oneill.html |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|-
|6
| [[File:Warner-robert.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Robert M.|Warner}}
| July 24, 1980
| April 15, 1985
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Robert M. Warner, Sixth Archivist of the United States (Archivist: 1980-1985) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/warner |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:Frank Burke cropped.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Frank G.|Burke}}
| April 16, 1985
| December 4, 1987
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{sortname|Ronald|Reagan}}
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Frank G. Burke, Acting Archivist of the United States (1985-1987) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/burke.html |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|-
|7
| [[File:Don-wilson-l.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Don W.|Wilson}}
| December 4, 1987
| March 24, 1993
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Don W. Wilson, Seventh Archivist of the United States (Archivist: 1987–1993) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/wilson |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:Trudy Peterson (cropped).png|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Trudy Huskamp|Peterson}}
| March 25, 1993
| May 29, 1995
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{sortname|Bill|Clinton}}
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Trudy Huskamp Peterson, Acting Archivist of the United States (1993-1995) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/peterson.html |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|-
|8
| [[File:John Carlin.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|John W.|Carlin}}
| May 30, 1995
| February 15, 2005
| <ref>{{cite web |title=John Carlin, Eighth Archivist of the United States (Archivist: 1995-2005) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/carlin |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|-
|9
| [[File:Allen Weinstein portrait.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Allen|Weinstein}}
| February 16, 2005
| December 19, 2008
| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|George W.|Bush}}
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Allen Weinstein, Ninth Archivist of the United States (2005-2008) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/weinstein |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:Adrienne Thomas official photo.jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Adrienne|Thomas|dab=archivist}}
| December 19, 2008
| November 5, 2009
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Adrienne Thomas, Acting Archivist of the United States (2008-2009) |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/thomas |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|-
|10
| [[File:David Ferriero official photo (cropped).jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|David|Ferriero}}
| November 6, 2009
| April 30, 2022
| {{sortname|Barack|Obama}}
| <ref>{{cite web |title=David S. Ferriero, Tenth Archivist of the United States |website=National Archives |date=August 15, 2016 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/ferriero |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:Debra Steidel Wall official photo (3x4 cropped).jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Debra Steidel|Wall}}
| May 1, 2022
| May 17, 2023
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{sortname|Joe|Biden}}
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Acting Archivist of the United States |website=National Archives |date=March 4, 2022 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/about/organization/senior-staff/acting-archivist |access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref>
|-
|11
| [[File:Colleen Shogan, Archivist of the United States.jpg|70px|]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Colleen Joy|Shogan}}
| May 17, 2023
| February 7, 2025
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Shogan Confirmed by U.S. Senate as 11th Archivist of the United States |website=National Archives |date=May 10, 2023 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |url=https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2023/nr23-31 |access-date=2023-05-10}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:William Bosanko, official portrait (3x4 cropped).jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|William J.|Bosanko}}
| February 7, 2025
| February 16, 2025
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{sortname|Donald|Trump}}
| <ref>{{cite web |last1=Gerstein |first1=Josh |last2=Cheney |first2=Kyle |title=Trump fires National Archives chief |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/07/trump-fires-national-archives-chief-00203246 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=2025-02-08 |date=2025-02-07 |quote=Without further action by Trump, Deputy Archivist [William J.] Bosanko — a career employee — would automatically step in as the acting head of the Archives.}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Vazquez |first=Maegan |date=2025-02-16 |title=Acting archivist, inspector general for National Archives forced out |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/16/trump-national-archives/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250217213119/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/16/trump-national-archives/ |archive-date=2025-02-17 |access-date=2025-02-22 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
|–
| [[File:Official portrait of Secretary Marco Rubio (3x4 cropped).jpg|70px]]
! scope="row" | {{sortname|Marco|Rubio}}
|February 16, 2025
|''Incumbent''
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trump |first=Donald |author-link=Donald Trump |date=2025-02-16 |title='I am pleased to announce that Jim Byron will be serving as Senior Advisor to our Acting Archivist, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Jim will manage the National Archives on a day-to-day basis, while we continue our search for a full-time Archivist. Jim has worked with the National Archives for many years, and understands the great responsibility and duty we have to preserve the History of our Great Country.' |url=https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114015151574566832 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250222064801/https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114015151574566832 |archive-date=2025-02-22 |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=[[Truth Social]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.archives.gov/ Official website]
* [http://blogs.archives.gov/aotus/ AOTUS Blog - from the "Collector in Chief"]
* [https://www.archives.gov/about/history/archivists/ Archivists of the United States, 1934 – present]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Archivist Of The United States}}
[[Category:Heads of United States federal agencies]]
[[Category:American archivists|*]]
[[Category:National Archives and Records Administration]]
[[Category:Constitutional history of the United States]]