After protest, investigation, and a report, the State Department’s Office of the Historian has a new chief. See a collection of articles on the current situation and how it all began. Then, read about the NHPRC recommending $5.9 million in grants for documentary editing and archives, the dismissal of the case against Zotero, the death of Ernest May, and the history of crayon packaging.

• After Critical Report, State Department Finds New Leadership for Historian’s Office
  The Chronicle reports on the new chief at the State Department’s Office of the Historian. See also, the National Coalition for History’s coverage of this news, as well as on the report of the inspector general that recommended this change. The first public evidence of issues in the Office of the Historian came in December of 2008, when Wm. Roger Louis resigned from the chairmanship of the U.S. State Department’s Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation in protest of “mismanagement.” We reported again on the situation in February of 2009 and Wm. Roger Louis wrote an article with his perspective in the April issue of Perspectives on History.
• Commission Recommends $5.9 Million in Grants for Documentary Editing and Archival Projects
  A recent press release from the National Archives announces that the “National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) has recommended to the Acting Archivist of the United States 82 grants of $5.9 million for projects in 39 states and the District of Columbia.” The grants were specifically recommended for archival and documentary editing projects.
• Judge Dismisses Software-Licensing Case Against George Mason University
  The Chronicle’s Wired Blog reports on the dismissal of a case against George Mason University and its Zotero software.
• Ernest May, International Relations Expert, Dies at 80
  The New York Times notes the recent death of Ernest R. May, historian of international relations.
• Brand Spotlight: Crayola
  Just for fun, check out the evolution of Crayola Crayons packaging. Contributors: David Darlington, Elisabeth Grant, and Vernon Horn

This post first appeared on AHA Today.