Resolution Recognizing NARA's 75th Anniversary

August 13, 2009

WHEREAS the National Archives was founded by an Act of Congress signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 19, 1934; and

WHEREAS the National Archives has the critical mission of safeguarding and making available documents that have guided our history and shaped our future, including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS the National Archives serves all Americans by keeping and making available vital records that tell the stories and document the contributions of our people, such as the military records of those who bravely serve in the Armed Forces, naturalization records of those who brought their dreams to America, and census records enumerating the individuals and communities that make up our great nation; and

WHEREAS the Electronic Records Archive, established in 2000, is laying the foundation for preserving and providing public access to the electronic records that have become a basic record of governmental decision making and activity; and

WHEREAS the National Archives has become an international leader among public archives, serving as a model both within the United States and internationally by advocating the importance of the rights of citizens to inspect the records of their government; and

WHEREAS the National Archives performs a number of other vital services, such as publishing the Federal Register (which provides an ongoing record of the official actions of the federal government), providing outstanding public outreach programs, and supporting archives and archivists across America through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission; and

WHEREAS the National Archives and Records Administration’s 75th anniversary will be celebrated at the opening plenary session of Sustainable Archives: AUSTIN 2009, the Joint Annual Meeting of the Council of State Archivists and the Society of American Archivists, in Austin, Texas, on August 13, 2009;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Society of American Archivists hereby recognizes and thanks the National Archives and Records Administration on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.