Questions and Answers
What was the primary driver for records management in the United States in the 20th century?
Who signed the legislation creating the National Archives in 1934?
What was Emmett Leahy's first assignment at the National Archives?
What was a major challenge faced by the National Archives in 1937?
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What was the outcome of the litigation against the former President regarding the Presidential Records Act?
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What was a key component of the National Archives' records management program?
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What is the records lifecycle model shown in Figure 1.2 best suited for?
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What was the significance of the 'PROFS case'?
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Why did President Franklin D. Roosevelt have a recording machine installed under the Oval Office in 1940?
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What did President Biden's lawyers find in his possession in November 2022 and January 2023?
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What was the reason cited for not prosecuting President Biden?
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What was connected to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's telephone in the Oval Office?
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What has been the policy for White House email since 1994?
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What was the result of the investigation into President Biden's handling of classified records?
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What was the significance of the NSC backup tapes in the litigation?
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Who appointed a Special Counsel to investigate President Biden's handling of classified records?
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Where do digital copies of the original FDR recordings reside?
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What is the purpose of the General Schedule (GS) introduced in the 1945 amendment to the Records Disposal Act?
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What was established in 1950 to preserve records of permanent historical value?
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Who was central to the emergence of the Commercial Records Center (CRC) industry?
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What was the primary purpose of President John F. Kennedy's secret recording network?
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What led to the discovery of President Richard M. Nixon's secret recording system?
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What was the consequence of the 18-minute gap in President Nixon's tapes?
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What was the outcome of the Watergate scandal?
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What was the purpose of the Presidential Records Act of 1978?
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What were Lt. Col. Oliver North's 'PROFS notes' related to?
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Study Notes
Recordkeeping in the United States in the Twentieth Century
- In 1934, Congress established the National Archives to centralize federal recordkeeping, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation creating the National Archives.
- Robert D.W. Connor was appointed as the first Archivist of the United States.
- In 1935, Emmett Leahy joined the National Archives and formed a committee to analyze records and decide whether to destroy or dispose of them.
- By 1937, the committee realized the enormity of the records problem due to lack of conformity in procedures, growth in document volume, and duplicate records across agencies.
- The National Archives initiated a records management program to segregate temporary and archival records, with a records lifecycle model developed by Leahy.
Records Management Development
- The Records Disposal Act of 1943 defined records and authorized the National Archives Council to develop procedures for disposing of unneeded records and reproducing permanent records on microfilm.
- The Act was amended in 1945 to include the government-wide General Schedule (GS), allowing for systematic disposal of government records.
- In 1950, the Federal Records Act codified records management policies and practices, establishing the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to preserve records of permanent historical value.
Commercial Records Center (CRC) Industry
- Emmett Leahy played a central role in the emergence of the CRC industry, becoming the first executive director of the National Records Management Council in 1948.
- He formed the Business Archives Center, perhaps the first CRC in the U.S.
- By the 1950s and 1960s, CRCs emerged in large metropolitan areas to store inactive records for large corporations and organizations.
Presidential Recordkeeping
- In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had a recording machine installed in the Oval Office to record conversations.
- Presidents Truman and Eisenhower also recorded conversations, while President John F. Kennedy installed a secret recording network to protect himself against officials.
- President Richard M. Nixon employed a secret recording system, which was discovered in 1973 during the Watergate scandal.
- The Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978 established public ownership of records generated by subsequent presidents and their staffs.
Electronic Records and Litigation
- In 1987, Lt. Col. Oliver North testified about his role in the Iran-Contra affair, including destroying copies of "PROFS notes" (early versions of e-mail records).
- The "PROFS case" resulted in courts finding that electronic versions of e-mail records contained metadata not captured in paper records.
- In 1994, White House email was archived in electronic form, and in 1995, NARA issued electronic mail regulations applicable to all Executive branch agencies.
- In 2021, it was revealed that President Donald Trump had taken over 30 boxes of classified and unclassified presidential records to his residence, in contravention of the Presidential Records Act.
- In 2023, President Biden's personal lawyers found documents with classified markings in his possession, leading to an investigation and Special Counsel appointment.
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Description
Learn about the establishment of the National Archives in 1934 and its role in centralizing federal recordkeeping in the United States during the 20th century.