Don W. Wilson Installed as Seventh Archivist of the United Sates
On December 4 in a ceremony in the Rotunda of the National Archives, Don W. Wilson was sworn-in as the seventh Archi vist of the United States. President Ronald Reagan, David Mathews, who is Director of the Kettering Foundation, and former Archivist, Robert Warner, offered brief remarks. President Reagan emphasized that Wilson was more than qualified for the position in his academic background and years of experience. Mathews applauded the fact that the professionals whose judgement is essential to the work of the National Archives have confidence in Wilson’s ability to lead the National Archives. Recognizing Wilson’s appointment as the culmination of the movement to gain independence for the National Archives, Warner noted that in the selection of Wilson the terms of independence legislation had been fully met. All of the speakers looked forward to new possibilities for the National Archives as it enters a new era as an independent agency under Wilson’s leadership.
After the administering of the oath of office by Representative Dick Cheney (R-WY), Don Wilson made a few comments. He expressed appreciation to Frank Burke, the acting archivist for thirty-two months, for his role in establishing a strong foundation on which to build. Then Wilson addressed briefly some of his goals for expanding the mission of the National Archives. As one example of the kind of initiative he planned to undertake, Wilson discussed the need for the formulation of a national policy for documenting our national heritage. In closing, Wilson stated that now is a time of opportunity for the National Archives and he hopes to be able to provide aggressive, flexible, and creative leadership for the challenges ahead.
After working for three years for the confirmation of a professional nonpartisan US Archivist, the installation of Don W. Wilson was an occasion of much celebration within the historical and archival professions. In October, 1984, following passage of legislation to separate the National Archives from the General Services Administration, Robert Warner, the Archivist of the United States, announced that in April of the following year he would be leaving the National Archives. Historians, archivists, and genealogists began immediately in November, 1984, to develop a statement on the qualifications needed for the next US Archivist. While the new independence legislation specified that the US Archivist should be a non partisan professional, the precedent for assuring the selection of a nonpartisan nominee who could provide continuity of leadership from one administration to the next had not been established.
In the spring of 1985, word circulated in Washington that the President intended to nominate Peter Duignan, a scholar of African history at the Hoover Institution and a foreign policy advisor to President Reagan, for the position of US Archivist. Opposition to Duignan surfaced from several Senators, and he was never formally nominated. The following spring, on May 7, the President did nominate John Agresto, a protege of William Bennett who was at that time serving as acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Sixteen historical, archival, library, and genealogical organizations officially opposed the nomination primarily because of his lack of qualifications and the fact that the selection process had been politicized in violation of the legislation that specified that the Archivist of the US should be nonpartisan and insulated from a particular administration. After three full days of hearings on the Agresto nomination, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee decided, on October 6, 1986, not to act on the controversial nomination and thus pre vented any chance of Agresto’s confirmation during the 99th Congress.
During the next six months, there was considerable speculation as to whether the White House would resubmit Agresto’s nomination or would begin anew on the selection process. Assuming the possibility of the latter, in April, 1987, the NCC member organizations forwarded to the White House a list of representative individuals who could serve ably as US Archivist. Don W. Wilson was among those suggested by the NCC. President Reagan announced on August 14 his intention to nominate Don W. Wilson for US Archivist. The confirmation hearing, consideration of the nomination by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, and the vote by the full Senate moved quickly. On November 20 the Senate endorsed the nomination by a vote of unanimous con sent.
In reflecting on the NCC’s long advocacy effort to ensure the selection of a professional, nonpartisan archivist, we have once again been reminded of the necessity of a united and wholehearted effort by the major constituent groups. A halfhearted opposition to a Presidential nomination could prove to be counterproductive. Opposing a nominee is definitely a risky business. As many pointed out, we could well have found ourselves in a very difficult position if a nominee whom we opposed was con firmed. But, on the other hand, securing a strong and able leader for the National Archives was the final crucial step of the Archives’ independence movement. To stand by and do little to ensure the selection of a nonpartisan professional seemed unthinkable. But once the decision was made to oppose the President’s first nominee for Archivist, it was imperative to pull out all the stops and to pursue every appropriate strategy. And now three years later, we can report that the full scale campaign was successful.
Reauthorization of NHPRC Grants Program
On November 5, Senator Jim Sasser (D-TN), joined by Senators John Heinz (R-PA),John Glenn (D-OH), and Mark Hatfield (R-OR), introduced S.1856, a bill to reauthorize the grants program of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The legislation is for fiscal years 1989 through 1993 and establishes a funding level of $10 million for each fiscal year.
The current appropriating is $4 million with an authorized ceiling of $5 million. Sasser is the Chairman and Heinz the ranking minority member of the Senate subcommittee with oversight responsibility for the NHPRC, the Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Federal ism, and the District of Columbia of the Senate Governmental Affairs Commit tee. It is encouraging to have their sup port. They are joined by Senator Glenn, the chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee, and Senator Hatfield, the ranking minority member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In introducing this bill, Sasser urged the Senate not to eliminate funding for the NHPRC as the Office of Management and the Budget has previously recommended but to increase the appropriation. “Without question,” he concluded, “every penny spent will yield a valuable net return on our investment.” Senator Sasser has scheduled a subcommittee hearing on S. 1856 for December 15. Letters of support for this legislation should be sent to Senator Jim Sasser, Chairman, Subcommittee of Government Efficiency, US Senate, Washing ton, DC 20510. A parallel bill has not been introduced in the House but is expected shortly.
Iran-Contra Report Recommends Review of Presidential Records Act
The Iran-Contra report, released in November by the Joint Congressional Commit tee, describes the ways in which National Security Council staff destroyed or altered embarrassing or incriminating evidence. Noting that the Presidential Records Act had been enacted after Watergate for the purpose of ensuring the preservation of official records, the congressional committee concluded that NSC staff “willfully violated” the Act. In the section on recommendations, the committee called for a review of the Presidential Records Act to determine how it can be made more effective. “Possible improvements,” the report stated, “include the establishment of a system of consultation with the Archivist of the United States to ensure complete compliance with the Act, the creation of a program of education of affected staff as to the Act’s provisions, and the attachment of criminal penalties”; it is a felony to destroy or alter documents or to give false testimony to intentionally frustrate and impede a Congressional inquiry. As early as November 10, 1986, Congressional committees had notified the Administration of planned inquiries into the sale of arms to Iran.
