SAA Monitors the Nomination of Bradford P. Wilson to be the Next AOTUS

March 12, 2026—The Society of American Archivists, the nation’s oldest and largest association of professional archivists, is monitoring Bradford P. Wilson’s nomination to be the next Archivist of the United States.

For more than four decades, American archival professional associations have issued criteria for the Archivist of the United States that have yet to be fully realized during the appointment process for nominees. In 2004, SAA in conjunction with other archival associations issued a Joint Statement on Selection Criteria for the Archivist of the United States. SAA also supports the Statement on Essential Characteristics of the Archivist of the United States previously issued by the Council of State Archivists in March 2025.

The mission of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is to preserve, protect, and share the historical records of the United States to promote public inquiry and strengthen democratic participation. As noted by the National Coalition for History in 2024, “Despite NARA’s critical responsibilities, and the dramatically growing volume of holdings it is mandated to preserve, the agency is operating without adequate funding, staffing, technology, and infrastructure.” These issues have yet to be addressed and SAA hopes to see Nominee Wilson address these concerns during the confirmation hearings.

Previous Archivists of the United States have addressed the Society of American Archivists through Archival Outlook columns and at the association’s Annual Meeting. In recent years, there has been decreasing engagement between the Archivist of the United States and the Society of American Archivists. We hope if Nominee Wilson is confirmed, he will actively engage the American archivist profession to demonstrate how his leadership of NARA will uphold our profession’s shared values around open government, equitable access to information, and strong advocacy on behalf of the records held in trust for the American people.

SAA will continue to monitor this nomination, and the SAA Council will prepare a written letter regarding expectations for the AOTUS position, to be sent to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC). SAA will also develop questions that we will submit to Senators on the HSGAC for their consideration to ask the nominee. As we approach the nominee's confirmation hearing before HSGAC, that letter and the submitted questions will be shared with SAA members, and SAA will provide information regarding how its members can engage directly with their elected representatives to express their thoughts on the nominee.