It’s not every day someone has an opportunity to see, let alone meet and talk with, the highest-ranking member of their field or academic interest. Last fall, West Virginia University’s archivists and librarians, other faculty, staff and students were able to do just that.

It was Oct. 2 and the beginning of American Archives Month when the Archivist of the United States (AOTUS) visited WVU Morgantown. At the invitation of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Colleen Shogan, PhD, the 11th AOTUS, joined the senator for a series of visits and tours of campus.

WVU Libraries hosted Dr. Shogan for a full day, showcasing the West Virginia & Regional History Center’s (WVRHC) special collections and rare books, as well as illustrating our methods and dedication to acquiring, preserving and providing access to materials in all formats that illuminate both local and national history and culture.

“The documents of history are essential to our future. They hold us accountable to the truth, they show us our mistakes and they document our progress,” Dean of WVU Libraries Karen Diaz said. “As the nation’s record keeper, Dr. Shogan is responsible for preserving, protecting and sharing the history of our nation, and I am grateful she took time out of her busy schedule to allow us to show her around our archives and special collections. We at WVU Libraries are honored to not only have hosted leadership at the highest levels of our profession and country, but to share a commitment and mission for collecting and preserving our history’s records.” 

The documents of history are essential to our future. They hold us accountable to the truth, they show us our mistakes and they document our progress. Karen Diaz, dean, wvu libraries

For the day’s main event, Dr. Shogan discussed the role of archives and records in strengthening the nation’s democracy, the vital importance of preserving and understanding history, the work of the  National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and female leadership in the field in a moderated conversation with Lisa DeFrank-Cole, EdD, professor and director of leadership studies at WVU. 

“Having Dr. Shogan here was both personally enriching and absolutely fulfilling,” Dr. DeFrank-Cole said. “As a scholar of women’s leadership, having the national archivist, who is the first woman to hold this position, means so much to me. That she spoke not only about the National Archives, but also about what it is like to be a first, bringing her identity together with her position, was absolutely thrilling.”

Prior to the public program with Dr. DeFrank-Cole, Dr. Shogan toured the WVRHC, the Libraries Depository and the  Modern Congressional and Political Papers Collection. She also had lunch with WVU President E. Gordon Gee and hosted a roundtable alongside Sen. Capito with students to discuss Dr. Shogan’s unique career path, her success as the first woman appointed to lead NARA and the National Archives’ work.  

“It’s very special that the Archivist of the United States was here to talk about her role as a national leader,” said Chloe Hernandez, a WVU graduate student studying political science. “She’s such an inspiration with being the first woman in her role. A lot of times in today’s world you see male-dominated fields and it’s amazing to see another woman out there doing amazing work, especially with revolutionizing how we see the archives and our future.” 

Dr. Shogan is the 11th Archivist of the United States. She was sworn in on May 17, 2023. A noted author and political scientist, Dr. Shogan is committed to civic education and public engagement, and she has made it a priority to expand the reach of National Archives to a wider audience. 

WVU Libraries will continue to work with NARA to identify experiential and other learning opportunities for WVU and West Virginia students. Future collaboration with NARA will drive advancement in our University’s mission as a land-grant institution to improve the lives and livelihoods of our students, alumni, community and West Virginians and our priority of purpose to foster a culture of curiosity, belonging and self-discovery. 

“This was huge. I’m always sending students to presidential libraries and the National Archives in Maryland,” Associate Professor and Department of History Chair Jessica Wilkerson said. “As a 20th century U.S. historian, my colleagues and I rely on those records, which means we rely on the work of Dr. Shogan and her staff to record history. It’s fundamental, and so I have deep respect for what she does. It makes all our work, all our books, all our articles and all our teaching possible.” 

Q&A with the Archivist of the United States

Colleen Shogan, PhD, the 11th Archivist of the United States, sat down with WVU Libraries to dive deeper into NARA’s history, her connection to WVU, the intersection of national to local archiving, her idea of a “civics renaissance” and why everyone should advocate for preserving and protecting records. 

You are the 11th Archivist of the United States, a role that in the grand scheme of our nation’s history, is relatively new. What was the inciting incident or national climate of the times when NARA was formed in 1934? Why was NARA needed then and how has its mission and purpose evolved to what it is today?

Construction began on the original archives building in Washington, D.C., at the very end of Herbert Hoover’s presidency before Franklin D. Roosevelt became president. When construction began, there was no legislation to authorize or create a national archives administration yet. That came, as you said, in 1934 after FDR was president.  

At the time, one of the concerns was that the nation was growing and so was the complexity of our federal government. As a result, records that were documenting our history and the decisions made by the federal government were all stored in different places across the country. Additionally, it came to light that a lot of these records were being stored in the basements or attics of various government departments and cabinets. There are interesting photos of the conditions that some of these records were in — subjected to water, light and all kinds of things that would certainly not ensure the longevity of those records.  

Around that time, other countries and other modern democracies were starting to build and create archives. FDR knew this and he knew this building was under construction. So, he thought this would be an opportune moment to create a national archives administration that would preserve and protect our nation’s records.

It’s also worth pointing out that this agency was built in the middle of the Great Depression, which is kind of amazing. There was a national crisis with its own challenges, but FDR and Congress believed it to still be a priority to preserve our history.

On Oct. 2, you visited WVU Morgantown and our libraries. Why did our University spark your interest? And throughout your tours of WVU Libraries’ archives and the day’s public events in which you keynoted, what did you speak to students, faculty, staff and the community about?

I love engaging with universities and visiting when I can. It is important for me to take the opportunity when I can, especially when there’s an entire day to visit university archives, to explore historical collections that might be unique to the university and to engage with the larger library system.

Most importantly, I love engaging with students and the public. When I have an opportunity to do that, it is a terrific day and time well spent for me because it enables me to talk about the mission of NARA and the importance of preserving records to a wider audience and potentially, future archivists.

For me in particular, West Virginia University is special. A lot of members of my family attended WVU — my brother, my sister-in-law and even my cousin’s daughter is a current WVU student. WVU was also the first college campus that I explored. When my older brother went to college, I would go with my parents to visit him. I look back on those visits with my family fondly.

My recent visit to Morgantown as Archivist of the United States was no different. I talked with faculty, staff, students and the Morgantown community about the role of archives and records in strengthening the nation’s democracy, the vital importance of preserving and understanding history and how as a society, we need to prioritize civics education. I had a great discussion with WVU students about my career and alternate career paths as well. Those students were amazing and came to the table with thoughtful comments and questions.

I also had the opportunity to talk about the scope of NARA. We have 13.5 billion analog or paper records at the National Archives. I think that really shocks a lot of people. Many people visit the National Archives’ original building in Washington, D.C., to see our nation’s founding documents. But many don’t realize the breadth and depth of the records from American history that NARA protects and preserves. That building is just the tip of the iceberg.

The WVRHC preserves  congressional archives and leads the  American Congress Digital Archives Portal project. How do collections and initiatives like these intersect with the work done at NARA and what is their significance at all levels of government and society?  

What WVU is able to collect and preserve in its own archives is very important, particularly the digital portal. The WVRHC is collecting the records and papers of significant individual members of Congress. Here at the National Archives, we hold records of the legislative branch of government — like committee records, floor records, etc. — but we do not hold papers of individual members of Congress or senators.  

We rely upon institutions like WVU and others across the United States to be those repositories. Between the work the WVRHC is doing with the larger digital consortium and the documentation the National Archives holds in trust for the United States Congress, the American people have access to a complete record of the activities of Congress and the legislative branch of government. 

While you visited WVU and during your evening keynote, you mentioned driving a “civics renaissance.” Will you summarize what you shared about what this means, how you might implement this movement and how universities like WVU might play a role?   

Education is another priority for NARA, especially civics education. It is vital we as a people have an understanding of the principles of American government that are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. 

We are doubling down on civics and history education as we prepare for the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. As a piece of that, we are increasing our resources to teachers. For example, we are developing new content around the Declaration of Independence because there isn’t as much educational content for teachers about the principles contained in the Declaration of Independence and, of course, the 250th anniversary of the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  

Overall, we’re concerned because in recent years, civics and American history scores have gone down in the United States according to the Department of Education’s  2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress. I think everybody who is involved in preserving the history and sharing the history of the United States — not just the National Archives, but academic institutions, museums and archives across the United States — need to make infusing more resources to civics and history education a collective priority. If we all work on that, then we will certainly launch and engage in a civics renaissance. 

Our civics renaissance can and should take example from our national efforts for a STEM renaissance. There was real impact from our nation’s efforts to encourage more education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Scores went up! More kids became interested in those fields!

We shouldn’t stop that. I think we need to continue to encourage STEM, but not at the detriment of studying social sciences, history and civics. We need to add an “AND” to that movement. We need a STEM and civics renaissance.

Why should students, parents, faculty, American citizens and our leaders — from community to state to national — care about archives and prioritizing resources for archival efforts?  

Archives are so important. It’s not simply a nice-to-have or a luxury. It’s essential to our democracy. Making records available, making them accessible to people across the country and not just in Washington, D.C., is foundational to empowering Americans in understanding the decisions the government has made.  

We may or may not agree with specific decisions — and NARA isn’t here to tell you whether to agree or disagree with government decisions — but citizens are owed the ability to understand their government’s decisions for transparency and accountability.  

If we don’t have archives and archival efforts as essential building blocks in our democracy, then we don’t have a strong democracy. So, I look at the National Archives and other archives like those within the WVRHC as essential to the vitality of continuing our democracy in the United States.

Is there anything you want to add? 

I think fondly upon my time at WVU and all the great questions that I received from students and the public, as well as the opportunity to see firsthand some of the congressional archiving that’s going on at the WVRHC and WVU Libraries. It was a special day, thank you so much.