PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS Volume 40 | Number 3 | June 2020

PRESENT AT THE CREATION: A CONVERSATION WITH PIONEERS OF THE PUBLIC HISTORY MOVEMENT – PART I This plenary panel of distinguished public In preparation for our “Present at the Creation” Arnita Jones (AJ) attended historians was planned to open the 2020 NCPH conversation, panelists Arnita Jones, Philip the Montecito and National Annual Meeting and kick off our celebration Cantelon, Andy Anderson, and Patricia Mooney- Archives organizing meetings of the 40th anniversary of NCPH in Atlanta. Melvin were sent a series of questions in as an American Historical Our “Founders” panel was intended to be advance, and in turn offered written responses Association (AHA) staff associate a conversation on center stage, facilitated with their reflections on the past, present, and with the National Coordinating Committee by moderator and public historian Shelley future of NCPH and the field of public history. for the Promotion of History. She was among Bookspan, who, as a University of California, Although this plenary panel did not come to pass NCPH’s founding incorporators in 1980, served Santa Barbara (UCSB) graduate student, attended due to the cancelation of the Atlanta meeting, two terms on the board in the 1980s, and was the first national symposium on public history fortunately we can still share these reflections of NCPH Chair 1987-1988. She is executive director at Montecito, CA, in April 1979. Several of our panelists with the public history community. emerita of the AHA and former executive our panelists attended this symposium. Others What follows is Part I of these reflections. Part II director of the Organization of American attended an October 1979 meeting at the will appear in the September 2020 issue of Public Historians. National Archives in Washington, DC, where the History News. concept of a National Council on Public History Philip L. Cantelon (PC) took shape, and where NCPH was incorporated Moderator Shelley Bookspan: “I am sorry I attended the National Archives May 2, 1980. The organization’s first annual missed the opportunity to introduce each of these meeting, was among NCPH’s meeting took place in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1980. distinguished public historians in Atlanta this founding organizers, and was year, and possibly the chance to provoke some its first executive secretary dialogue among them and with the audience. I from 1981-1983. He taught American history owe them each a debt of gratitude for believing in at Williams College and founded the college’s and contributing to the growth of our profession. oral history program. After completing a It is hard to overstate how important their Fulbright Professorship in Japan, he returned Masthead from Public History News Vol. 1 No. 1. All back issues of the validation was for those of us dipping our toes in to Washington in 1979 to write a history of the NCPH newsletter are available on our website. and wondering if it was safe to swim.” Three Mile Island nuclear accident.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

PANDEMICS AND PUBLIC HISTORY REFLECTIONS FROM GREGORY E. SMOAK / those rare times that most of us recognize as NCPH STAFF DURING [email protected] being historical. Questions and comparisons In the past several months abound. How does COVID-19 compare to COVID-19 all of our lives have been earlier pandemics such as the Black Death that From Executive Director turned upside down. ravaged Europe in the 14th century or the Great Stephanie Rowe In January, as I began Influenza of 1918? How did communities When the year started, teaching my environmental and governments respond to these earlier all things NCPH looked history course at the University of Utah, the crises? Why do some communities suffer far promising: we were poised emergence of a new and dangerous virus was more than others? Public historians can help to announce that we had a noteworthy event that, over the subsequent answer these questions, as well as ensure that achieved our goal of growing weeks, became an all too teachable example. future histories of the present pandemic are the Endowment to (actually, over!) the $1 Today, the terrible human toll of the COVID- inclusive and broadly relevant. We can record million mark much earlier than we had hoped 19 pandemic has been compounded by a global and preserve the stories of communities and the 40th anniversary conference was on economic crisis that has thrown millions struggling with COVID-19 and, in an era pace to break another record. Then it all began out of work. As entire nations experience when disinformation is prevalent, provide to unravel. Now, in month three of remote lockdowns and we all do our best to practice the historical context that our publics demand work for our staff, we’re starting to see what social distancing, it is worth considering the and deserve. Indeed, many public historians our new path forward might look like and importance of history in this moment as well have already turned their attention toward envision how, despite the chaos of the first as the roles public historians can play during a COVID-19, which undoubtedly will be the quarter, NCPH will continue to be a vibrant, pandemic. most documented pandemic in human history. healthy organization. Here I have space to highlight just two of Now more than ever, history must be part of the current projects, led by NCPH members, While our Endowment has taken a hit and the our public discourse. We are living in one of announcement of our success no longer holds, CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 PATRONS & PARTNERS The support of the following, each a leader in the field and committed to membership at the Patron or Partner level, makes the work of the National Council on Public History possible.

PATRONS PARTNERS The History Channel Arthur A. Wishart Library, Algoma Naval Undersea Museum Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, Dept. of History University Oklahoma State University, Dept. University of California, Santa Barbara, Dept. of History Baldwin Wallace University, Dept. of History Rutgers University – Camden, Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities of History Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Kristin Ahlberg California State University at Chico, Foundation American Association for State and Local History Dept. of History The Riverside Church Archives American University, Dept. of History Canadian Museum of Immigration Rutgers University-Newark, The American West Center, University of Utah at Pier 21 Graduate Program in American Arizona State University, School of Historical Philosophical, and Religious Studies Carleton University, Dept. of History Studies Bill Bryans Central Connecticut State Shippensburg University, Dept. of California State University, Sacramento, Dept. of History University, Dept. of History History Chicago History Museum The CHAPS Program at The St. John’s University, Dept. of Duquesne University, Dept. of History University of Texas – Rio Grande History Historical Research Associates, Inc. Valley Tenement Museum History Associates Incorporated Laura Feller University at Albany, SUNY, Dept. International Federation for Public History Florida State University, Dept. of of History Jimmy Carter Library & Museum History University of California, Riverside, John Nicholas Brown Center, Brown University Frontier Culture Museum Dept. of History Know History, Inc. Georgia College, Dept. of Historic University of Massachusetts Loyola University, Dept. of History Museums Boston, Dept. of History Michael Reis Middle Tennessee State University, Dept. of History Georgia State University, Heritage University of North Carolina at Preservation Program Charlotte, Dept. of History New Mexico Historic Sites New Mexico State University, Dept. of History Green-Wood Cemetery University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Dept. of History New York University, Dept. of History IEEE History Center at Stevens Nicodemus NHS and Brown v. Board of Education NHS, National Park Service Institute of Technology University of Northern Iowa, Dept. of History Omeka Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Dept. of History University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, The Rockefeller Archive Center Kentucky Historical Society Dept. of History Texas State University – San Marcos, Dept. of History Sharon Leon University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Dept. of History University of Central Florida, Dept. of History Meijer Heritage Center University of Colorado Denver, Dept. of History West Virginia University, Dept. of Minnesota Historical Society University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Dept. of History History University of Massachusetts Amherst, Dept. of History Missouri Historical Society Western Michigan University, Dept. University of Nevada Las Vegas, Dept. of History National Library of Medicine of the of History University of North Alabama History Dept. & Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area National Institutes of Health Gerald Zahavi University of Richmond, School of Professional & Continuing Studies University of South Carolina, Dept. of History University of West Georgia, Dept. of History THANK YOU! Wells Fargo, History Dept. Robert Weyeneth

HISTORY supports the NCPH for promoting the value and signifi cance of history every day. ©2010 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved. 1292. All rights reserved. LLC. Networks, ©2010 A&E Television

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10-1292_HIST_Corp_ad_FIN.indd 1 11/4/10 4:49 PM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL MANY THANKS TO OUR 2020 NCPH ANNUAL ON PUBLIC HISTORY MEETING SPONSORS!

NCPH inspires public engagement with the past and serves the needs of practitioners in putting history to work GUARANTORS OF THE CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS OF THE CONFERENCE in the world by building community among historians, expanding professional skills and tools, fostering critical HISTORY™ Georgia State University reflection on historical practice, and publicly advocating for history and historians. Public History News is published Goucher College in March, June, September, and December. NCPH reserves the right to reject material that is not consistent with the goals and purposes of the organization. Individual Kennesaw State University membership orders, changes of address, and business and editorial correspondence should be addressed to Know History Inc. University of Massachusetts Amherst NCPH, 127 Cavanaugh Hall – IUPUI, 425 University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46202-5140. E-mail: [email protected]. University of West Georgia Tel: 317-274-2716. Join online or renew at www.ncph.org. Headquartered on the campus of IUPUI, NCPH is grateful for the generous support of the IU School of Liberal Arts FRIENDS OF THE CONFERENCE and the Department of History. University of Georgia American West Center, University of Utah Images from Flickr are used under Creative Commons license as described at http://creativecommons.org/ AskHistorians licenses/by/2.0/deed.en. Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public Printed on 50% recycled paper (25% post-consumer waste) History at California State University, Fullerton Gregory Smoak ADVOCATE OF THE CONFERENCE Omeka President University of California, Santa Barbara Kristine Navarro-McElhaney University of California Press Vice President University of Massachusetts Boston Marla Miller Immediate Past President IN-KIND SPONSORS Sharon Leon Secretary-Treasurer Atlanta History Center

Stephanie Rowe Executive Director

Amber Albert Shut Yan Chan Richard Girkin Andrew Linderman Ashley Parker Jeanne Schultz Angel William Wall-Winkel Winston-Salem, NC Nil, Hong Kong Philadelphia, PA Morgantown, WV Raleigh, NC Chicago, IL Detroit, MI

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Ian Beamish Jarrett Craft Hannah Hethmon James McAllister Patrick Reed Nicholas Spoerke NCPH would like to Lafayette, LA Temple, GA London, United Kingdom Tallahassee, FL Austin, TX Chicago, IL extend a special thanks to our new patron and Victor Betts Micah Crittenden Steven Holmes Matthew McCarthy Elizabeth Reilly Graeme States partner members Raleigh, NC Fort Worth, TX Jamaica Plain, MA Greensboro, NC Albuquerque, NM Anderson, IN History Associates, Inc. Glyn Blanks Deborah Cruz Anne Howe Alaina McNaughton James Rife MaryAnn Steinmiller (Patron) North Andover, MA Highland Haven, TX Harrisville, NH Savage, MD Gettysburg, PA Butler, PA Rockville, MD

Carin Bloom Nancy Davis-Bray Brittany Hyder Hannah Meller Heather Rivet R Stone Green-Wood Cemetery Summerville, SC Milledgeville, GA Greensboro, NC Murfreesboro, TN Charleston, SC Spartanburg, SC (Partner) Kyle Booker Sophie Don Gordon Jones Ronald Meseli Teague Clara Roberts Jeremy Swick Brooklyn, NY Greensboro, NC Cheltenham, PA Atlanta, GA Santee, CA Alamogordo, NM Atlanta, GA Georgia College, Dept. of James Bregenser Leah Dukes Meg Kennedy Tristin Milazzo Heather Rodriguez Jenifer Terry Historic Museums (Partner) Pittsburgh, PA Egg Harbor City, NJ Charlottesville, VA Hanover Township, PA Newnan, GA Grand Valley, ON, Canada Milledgeville, GA

Kerry Brough Delan Ellington Devon King Tyler Moore Caroline Ross Sarah Thuesen For a complete list of Welcome New Members! Welcome HISTORY supports the NCPH for Phoenix, AZ Washington, DC Amherst, MA Bowling Green, OH Abbeville, SC Carrboro, NC NCPH Patrons and Partners, visit ncph.org/ Leah Buhagiar Kevin Fayles Hadley Kluber Alicia Moreno Robyn Ross Liz Torres Melendez about/patronspartners/ promoting the value and signifi cance Dearborn, MI Salt Lake City, UT Marion, IA San Antonio, TX Austin, TX Greensboro, NC Laura Burnham Laura Figurski Melissa Knapp Kathi Nehls Angela Rothman Claire Tratnyek Dellwood, MO Bowling Green, OH Charleston, SC Peru, NE Davis, CA Cambridge, MA

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PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS 3

10-1292_HIST_Corp_ad_FIN.indd 1 11/4/10 4:49 PM REFLECTIONS FROM THE NCPH STAFF DURING COVID-19 // CONT’D. FROM PAGE 1 the $1 million goal is still within reach thanks accomplished in about a week. This was only an online Mini-Con or After Work event. to years of strong fiscal management and a possible because NCPH’s board jumped into Discovered a virtual internship model that committed membership. When the board action, taking on hours of work during what worked really well? Share it on social media, made the call to cancel our in-person meeting turned out to be a time of stressful transition or write about it for History@Work. Have an the financial picture looked bleak; while for all of us. Had we known then what the idea for something else we could do? Just let we’re still calculating the final impact, it looks back half of March would be like for many in me know! much less daunting now, thanks to strong our community—the furloughs and layoffs, partnerships with several of our vendors the switch to online teaching and learning, the From Graduate Assistant and sponsors and to the many attendees struggles to adapt to working from home while David Sye who sacrificed their refunds to support the managing childcare—we would likely have When I started as the organization. This is essential to NCPH’s pushed the virtual meeting to the summer. NCPH graduate assistant long-term health, as the projected annual last August, I learned that meeting income goes to support the many However, by proceeding quickly we learned a major component of hours of time our staff put into the planning a lot in a short time about what worked for both my internship and the and execution. This issue of Public History us and what didn’t, and got some firsthand life of the organization is the annual meeting. News will provide many accounts of what the experience with virtual options that will come While there were other tasks and projects meeting cancelation has meant, how our 40th in useful as we make contingency plans for the I worked on, my focus became increasingly anniversary celebrations are being adjusted, future and prepare as best we can for whatever conference-related as we got closer to March. and how our committees, board, and members life has in store in the months ahead. As we entered the final stretch of conference are adapting. I’m also sharing my column this planning, the COVID-19 outbreak hit and issue with the NCPH staff so they can add how From Membership the decision was made to cancel the in-person their professional lives and work have been Coordinator Stasia conference. My internship concludes at the

impacted. Tanzer end of May, and I won’t get an opportunity I only just started working like this anytime soon. So what do I take with NCPH in this role from this experience? While I won’t get to From Program Manager in February, which means Meghan Hillman see if my volunteer structure was effective, A lot goes into planning a I’ve now worked more from spending months coordinating with over national conference, but it home than in office, a very interesting (read: thirty volunteers taught me a lot about group turns out it’s a lot harder to difficult) transition into the workforce. While planning and communication. I didn’t get un-plan one. I was disappointed not to meet anyone in to participate in the events I planned, but I person at the annual meeting, I have had the became better at time and task management NCPH’s annual meeting was due to be held opportunity to communicate with many of you as a result. I also helped with the transition March 18-21 in Atlanta, Georgia. Over eight via email, Twitter, and Facebook, and I believe to a virtual conference, which will be useful hundred people had their rooms booked that through these mediums we can uphold if organizations plan to go digital for the and their travel plans made; four hundred our community bonds. foreseeable future. This was not the internship plus presenters were finalizing presentation experience I expected, but it was valuable Our goal is always to support our membership, plans; catering orders were placed, buses nonetheless. were booked, and badges were stuffed. Then but this is particularly important right now COVID-19 came, and every day we woke up as we are all facing an uncertain future. As The conference is the not the only aspect of to a different world. Less than one week before a result, we’ve been brainstorming how we this internship, as I work behind the scenes we were due to fly to Atlanta, our board made can keep members engaged without being to update the job page and post the bi-weekly the decision to cancel our in-person meeting— burdened. This has included utilizing our Around the Field listings. One lesson learned something that had felt almost unimaginable Facebook Members Forum more, to encourage is that the field has drastically changed in even two weeks before. you to talk through issues and share successes, only two months. I’ve seen approximately a and organizing our first virtual working 50% reduction in jobs posted online and mass At the time the decision felt scary and surreal. group on online teaching. We also introduced cancelations of conferences and in-person While the loss of our NCPH family’s yearly a new membership benefit: free access to learning opportunities. As I look for jobs and opportunity to gather is by no means the 25 online courses provided by the ARCUS articles to post, I get to see to see how the worst loss many of us have experienced or will Leadership Program in topics ranging from public history community is coming together experience as this pandemic runs its course, it community outreach and advocacy to financial to support each other. From sharing online was a loss. I felt an enormous sense of regret management and fundraising. We emailed internships through Google docs to state for our Program and Local Arrangements members a discount code in April, which you and regional organizations raising money to committee members in particular, who had can use through November 1, 2020. Please visit help local organizations, public historians are given over a year of their time and energy to https://arcusleaders.com to view the courses looking out for each other. make plans that I would have to unmake in and sign up. If you cannot find your code, about four days. email [email protected].

From home we finished the work of We invite you to participate in any way that unplanning the in-person conference and suits you. Do you have a little time on your made a speedy shift to a virtual conference. hands and want to gather virtually with other This pivot was a little fly-by-night, being public historians? Maybe we can turn it into

4 PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS ACTIONS OF THE NCPH BOARD OF DIRECTORS After the October 26 meeting of the NCPH Board of Directors • Recognized incoming and outgoing board members. • Reviewed and discussed reports from NCPH in Indianapolis, Indiana, and through the May 5 Virtual committee chairs. • Heard a report from the Secretary/Treasurer and meetings, the board convened electronically and by telephone reviewed the 2019 finances. • Discussed ways in which NCPH can support public and took the following actions: historians during COVID-19. • Voted to update signatories on the NCPH Bank and • Reviewed and discussed the Committee on Endowment accounts (to replace outgoing President During this time, the Advocacy Committee of the Board also Environmental Sustainability’s draft Green Marla Miller with incoming President Gregory voted to endorse the following: Meetings Report. Smoak). • A letter expressing support for S 2827, the • Discussed Annual Reviews of the Executive • Heard an update from University of California, bipartisan African-American Burial Grounds Director, The Public Historian (TPH) Editor, and TPH Santa Barbara Dean John Majewski on the Network Act. Co-Editor/NCPH Digital Media Editor. forthcoming search for a new TPH Editor. • A statement from the American Historical • Heard a report from the co-chairs of the Board- • Discussed business matters for TPH including Association Condemning the Use of or Threats to Led Subcommittee on Gender Discrimination and approval of an increase to institutional subscription Historical Sites in Warfare. Sexual Harassment on their work to date. rates as requested by the University of California • A letter from the Society of Architectural Historians • Heard a report from the Governance Committee Press. Letter in Opposition to Proposed Executive Order chair on work to revise the NCPH Code of Ethics • Approved postponement of the previously “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again.” and Professional Conduct. scheduled rate increase for NCPH memberships. • The American Sociological Association’s Call to • Heard an update from the Secretary/Treasurer on • Discussed the new Master Cooperative Agreement Higher Education Administrators Regarding Faculty sub-contracted operational support. between NCPH and the National Park Service with Review and Reappointment Processes During the • Voted to cancel the in-person annual meeting to Turkiya Lowe. COVID-19 Crisis. be held in Atlanta, Georgia March 18-21, 2020 and • Reviewed and discussed progress towards achieving • The American Historical Association’s, Statement to pursue moving as much content as possible to goals outlined in the 2017-2022 Long Range Plan. Regarding Historians and COVID-19. virtual platforms. • Reviewed early financial implications of canceling • The American Sociological Association’s Call • Approved temporary financial processing the in-person annual meeting in Atlanta. to Higher Education Administrators Regarding procedures in light of staff remote-working due to Student Education Progress During COVID-19. COVID-19. • Heard a report from the Development Committee co-chairs regarding the 2020 Vision Endowment • A letter from the National Trust for Historic • Sent a letter to Congressional Leadership to include Campaign and discussed continuing plans to Preservation to Members of Congress advocating associations and nonprofits in financial support celebrate NCPH’s 40th anniversary. for inclusion of preservation priorities in the to the travel and tourism industry as a result of next COVID-19 health, recovery, and stimulus COVID-19. • Approved the minutes of the Fall 2019, Virtual legislation. December 2019, Virtual February 2020, Virtual • Discussed institutional collaboration negotiations. March 2020, Virtual Spring 2020, and Virtual April • The American Philosophical Association’s • Heard reports from the President, Executive 2020 Board Meetings. Statement Condemning Racism and Discrimination Director, and TPH Editor. Against Asians and Asian Americans during COVID-19.

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Learn more about Academic Program Membership and join online at aaslh.org. PRESENT AT THE CREATION: A CONVERSATION WITH PIONEERS OF THE PUBLIC HISTORY MOVEMENT – PART I // CONT’D. FROM PAGE 1 With three partners he founded History AA: I remember it well—a phone call out of In 1981, I saw an ad for setting up a public Associates Incorporated, a historical, archival, the blue in March 1978 from Robert (Bob) W. history program at the University of Arkansas at litigation, and museum services company, where Pomeroy III, a senior vice president and deputy Little Rock and, because of the journal—which he currently holds the title of Chairman Emeritus. advisor to the Inter-American Development gave me not only language but the ability to Bank, Washington, DC. Bob’s opening line was: talk about public history beyond my own frame Andy Anderson (AA) attended “Hello. I’m Bob Pomeroy and I’m helping put of reference—and my curatorial experience, I the Montecito public history together a network of public historians across the possessed the right package to apply for this symposium as a corporate country and I’d like to invite you to join us.” My position. archivist and historian for Wells brilliant reply was: “What’s a ‘public historian’?” Fargo & Co. He served on the and “Who is ‘us’?” 2) What were your expectations at your Board of Editors for The Public Historian and first encounter with public history (at the NCPH Board of Directors. He is currently I had just joined the newly formed History Montecito 1979, National Archives 1979, executive vice president and chief historian for Department of Wells Fargo Bank in San or Pittsburgh 1980) Wells Fargo, and the founder and director of the Francisco after four years as an historian and Wells Fargo Family & Business History Center in archivist at Stanford University and its “semi- AJ: Public history was not a new idea for me at San Francisco. autonomous” Hoover Institution on War, any of these meetings, but my role was different Revolution and Peace. I was still searching for an in each. Organization of the Montecito meeting Patricia Mooney-Melvin identity in the netherworld between academia was done by the folks at Santa Barbara and by (PMM) founded and directed and the rest of the universe. Bob’s great reply that time I had already met Wes Johnson at an public history programs at the to my self-description was: “Perfect! You are NEH multi-discipline conference on alternative University of Arkansas and a public historian and there are a surprising careers. I am not sure, but I think it was Loyola University Chicago. She number of us.” I was thinking: ‘Good to know. supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, which is currently associate professor of History and There’s apparently more than two of “us.”’ played a major role in early public history efforts. graduate program director at Loyola University I talk about Rockefeller and Joel Colton a little Chicago. She was not involved in NCPH in its Pomeroy, my new colleague, went on to tell more in an article I did for International Public earliest founding years, but in subsequent decades me there were three things he hoped I would History in 2018. has served the organization as an officer and do: First, participate in “Business and History: thought leader. She served on NCPH’s Board of A Dialogue,” a seminar being presented by the PC: The National Archives meeting was an Directors, and as NCPH President in 1994-1995. Public Historical Studies Program at UCSB. outgrowth of historians not in the academy, Second, write an article about “The New many working for the federal government. That 1) Do you remember when you first heard Historian” for The Maryland Historian (X:1, meeting was really the first time that professional the term “public history” and what did Spring 1979), a publication of the History historians operating outside the classroom had you think it meant? Department of the University of Maryland, a chance to meet and discuss changes in the College Park. His third ask was to imagine profession, largely driven by the job crisis and by AJ: This answer I remember very clearly. In a national gathering of public historians in responses to it such as the National Coordinating the Spring of 1977, I had gone to work at the Montecito, California, in the spring of 1979, as Committee for the Promotion of History, Bob AHA on a project or job—at the time it wasn’t a follow-up to the UCSB Business and History Pomeroy, and the nascent Society for History in clear—to do something about the problem of jobs “Dialogue.” I jumped all-in on that too after a the Federal Government led by Jack Holl. By the for historians and became the clearinghouse at further—I’d say passionate—explanation of the time of the Pittsburgh meeting, we wanted to the office for anything that had to do with jobs. program and possibilities by Wes Johnson and form a professional organization and fund it by So, when Bob Kelley sent in news of the new Tom Fuller of UCSB and my friend Noel Stowe raising $100 from each organizational member program at Santa Barbara, it landed on my desk. of Arizona State University. This, of course, as it was not to be a membership organization. His take on “public” history seemed just right to became the “First National Symposium on Public I think we were surprised how quickly the me, so I called him. When he returned the call we History” organized by The Public Historical organization formed. Wes Johnson, as I recall, talked for hours, literally. I miss him. Studies Program at UCSB, April 27-29, 1979. was instrumental, especially when he brought The Public Historian, which he was running with a PC: I first heard the term public history when And here we are forty years later. Rockefeller grant, into the NCPH fold. With Bob it emerged from Kelley and [Wes] Johnson at PMM: I first heard the term public history while Pomeroy and perhaps Anna Nelson, I filed the Santa Barbara in the late summer of 1979. No real I worked at the Ohio Historical Society [OHS]. incorporation papers for the National Council on opinion one way or another on the term, except Between 1977 and 1979 I was the curator for Public History in DC. to separate it from academic history, i.e., history the Ohio Labor History Project. I was a PhD outside the classroom. I later came to prefer historian, one of the very few in OHS and, in AA: I had high expectations, bordering the term applied history in keeping with other the history division, one of the very few with on exhilaration, of meeting and joining a professional branches such as chemistry, medicine, any type of degree in history. OHS subscribed new national community of confident and anthropology, and the like. Also, the term public to The Public Historian. I remember reading that accomplished historians, archivists, and curators history became blurred, mainly by academics like first issue and thinking, here is finally a term that who were exploring the uses of history in “the far Bill Cronin and others who said if they imparted can describe what I am doing. That first issue quadrants of the universe.” I felt like I’d just been their wisdom to a broader audience—being an provided a vocabulary to talk about doing history invited to take a ride on the Starship Enterprise. information source on radio or TV—that made in settings other than the academy while still Didn’t know where we were headed, but felt them a public historian. My understanding of being a historian. certain it was going to be exciting. the Santa Barbara term was that it applied to historians doing work for public bodies such as CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE local municipalities and getting paid for it.

6 PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS PRESENT AT THE CREATION: A CONVERSATION WITH PIONEERS OF THE PUBLIC HISTORY MOVEMENT – PART I // CONT’D. FROM PAGE 6 3) Do you have a particular clear memory us of “balkanizing” the profession. We thought of our keynote speakers. There was a real buzz of the Montecito, National Archives, or that the academics had already done a pretty when the limo pulled up and two dark-suited Pittsburgh meetings? good job of declaring non-academic historians security guards wearing sunglasses and bearing as second class or even second rate. The attitude deep tans stepped out and opened the car door AJ: The National Archives meeting I had a hand was if you couldn’t get an academic job, you could for the Governor. It felt like a rock star had just in organizing, and very much hoped some sort always work for the government or the Archives. appeared. My first thought was: “Wow! Public of ongoing organization would result. The Public history might have been a terminology history has really arrived!” Pittsburgh meeting is a bit of a blur now, even to escape that, though that really didn’t happen though I attended, because I had gone to work at once academic programs became public history 4) Did your perception or understanding NEH a few months earlier and was involved in teaching areas and basically trained most of “public history” change after learning a new job which, though it included a historians for lower paying jobs such as the park participating in these events? focus on humanities careers, it obviously had to service or local museums. be multi-disciplinary. AJ: First I was enormously pleased at the AA: One crystalline moment for me was the wellspring of interest in public history nationally, PC: The highlight of the DC meeting was the arrival in a big black limo and a cloud of dust but second I was a bit disappointed that historic talk given by William Appleman Williams. We of Governor Bruce Babbitt of Arizona. (He preservation and cultural resource management thought it was most appropriate to have a radical was later Secretary of the Interior). He was the seemed to be of much higher interest than policy historian keynote what was, in many ways, a brother of my friend Jim Babbitt, archivist of history, [which was] so important to the federal radical, or at least non-traditional, organization Bank of America, and he was scheduled to be one historians I had come to know, and to Bob Kelley. of professional historians. Jim Banner accused CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

PATRON PROFILE: HISTORY ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED LAURA STARR, CA / [email protected] histories, creating online content, developing History Associates Incorporated (HAI) museum exhibits, and conducting interpretive is a leading professional services and plans. Today, we continue to explore new consulting firm offering research, discovery, ways to bring history to the public: we’ve and experience services to government, collaborated on immersive educational commercial, legal, education, association, and modules for high school history students, museum clients. Our team of 35 historians, curated online exhibits to celebrate corporate archivists, and museum professionals anniversaries, and executed web archiving specializes in cultural heritage programming, projects to capture and preserve digital content content development, storytelling, archives that will be tomorrow’s history. and information management, and historical Our archivists work with museum and cultural institution clients to HAI is located in Rockville, Maryland. research and analysis. assess, evaluate, process, catalog, and digitize their collections. Just outside of Washington, DC, we have Photo courtesy of History Associates Incorporated. HAI was born from four PhD historians’ convenient access to major repositories like the National Council on Public History, especially quest to research and explain the Three Mile Library of Congress and the National Archives. because HAI has a long history with the Island nuclear meltdown incident to the US At headquarters, we have climate controlled organization. In 1980, one of our founders, Department of Energy. The feedback received storage and processing spaces for organizing, Phil Cantelon, cast the motion to officially from that endeavor inspired them to create preserving, and cataloging document and organize NCPH during the second National a company that used historical research to object collections. We also travel across the Conference on Public History meeting in answer modern legal questions. Our founders country and around the world to assess, Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Cantelon then served as realized that history could do more than teach preserve, and describe our clients’ collections. the organization’s first executive secretary. us about notable politicians or important We have had the distinct honor to serve world- As a patron member, HAI hopes to connect milestones: maps, diaries, annual reports, and class cultural heritage organizations, such as with and support a new generation of public corporate records may contain critical details the National World War II Museum, the US historians. We have evolved alongside NCPH that completely change a legal case, but require Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National and the field of public history, and we are eager a historian to track down and interpret them. Park Service, the American Battle Monuments to support an organization that has done so Commission, and the Smithsonian Institution. much to advance and shape our profession. Starting in 1981, HAI’s earliest projects focused We have also provided historical research and on legal research. Trained historians would dive archives services to 49 of the top 100 US law As HAI’s Engagement Strategist, Laura focuses on into the archives to discover historical property firms, more than twenty US Department of growing and diversifying the firm’s relationships ownership documents, government contracts, Defense and civilian government agencies, and service offerings, expanding brand presence, and city maps to determine responsibility in forty congressional offices, over 300 corporate and creating valuable partnerships. Laura is a environmental clean-up cases, taking lessons brands, and more than 450 universities, Certified Archivist, who began her career with HAI learned from the Three Mile Island project and non-profit organizations, and professional ten (10) years ago on preservation and description applying them to other legal matters. associations. initiatives for the National Park Service, Library of Congress, and other cultural heritage organizations. The company quickly expanded to offer As dedicated storytellers and stewards of the She continues to serve the public history and archives archival services, then writing corporate past, we are thrilled to be a patron of the communities through her work and volunteer efforts.

PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS 7 AWARD WINNER SPOTLIGHT // GATHER, CONNECT, AMPLIFY: THE IMPORTANCE OF GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY BUILDING AND DISMANTLING WHITE MIDDLE- CLASS PUBLIC HISTORY

GVGK TANG / institutions. Just as journalist Adam Mahoney does not mean the same thing as diversity and [email protected] beautifully describes it, they can’t and won’t inclusivity. You can have diverse spaces and 1 I was honored to receive teach us the power of our own communities. still have colonialism and colonial mentality 3 the HRA New Professional present.” Public history and the humanities spend too Award from NCPH this much time funneling young scholars into So, who will tell the history of this pandemic, year, and gave a talk via poorly run programs, barely equipping them and how will it be told? Will white, degree- Twitter addressing the importance for the job market—especially young scholars holding scholars be solicited for their of grassroots projects created by, for, and about of color, who help “diversify” the field. No commentaries before those most affected—and, disenfranchised communities. I urged readers to one helps us navigate the stark realities of a most likely, in lieu of them? Will these scholars consider the violence of traditional diversity and dying industry. Class projects foist unhelpful and their monographs, exhibits, and oral inclusion frameworks, and decolonize our methods short-term partnerships on community history projects reap emotional, intellectual, for exploring the past. The following is a condensed organizations and keep a revolving door of and material rewards? Will they continue to and updated version of that presentation. students preoccupied with the appearance of take ideas, stories, memories, and resources For over five years, I’ve supported storytelling “service learning” rather than invested in the from low- and no-income Black, Brown, projects involving schools, hospitals, and quality and impact of their work. More time Indigenous, and disabled people? neighborhood coalitions through a public is spent pontificating about the advantages Practitioners often cite “shared authority.” But arts nonprofit in Philadelphia. Although I’ve of a liberal arts education than answering the it’s a flawed and paternalistic framework. Most previously worked at archives, museums, looming question of “what now?” often invoked when “professionals” generously and foundations, I’ve learned that history- This pandemic has exacerbated issues that low- decide to involve marginalized “subjects” in making cannot and should not be entombed and no-income Black, Brown, Indigenous, interpretation, it assumes equal distribution within these contexts. Public history can be a and disabled people have always faced. Only as the ideal. We cannot continue to center the catalyst for social change and empowerment, just now has this field—and the public at work of traditional public history practitioners when people testify to their experiences large—decided to take notice and dialogue and academics, reinforcing the notion that in-community, on a grassroots level. But I’ve around what it means to exist in a violently only “professional” public historians can also experienced it as a tool wielded by those capitalist, racist, ableist system. When I listen bestow historical authenticity. Historiographic in power—commemoration projects used to to bored colleagues talk at length about their reparations can only be enacted when usher in “neighborhood development” and homes and their yards over Zoom calls, I think marginalized people tell their own stories, and gentrification, or oral history projects that steal about friends who are dealing with food and control the flow of intellectual and material people’s stories and ideas without recompense. housing insecurity. I bear witness to our field’s resources themselves. White institutions and The term “public history” is often narrowly ignorance and inaction. These colleagues are those affiliated with them must be divested defined to exclude activists and “nontraditional the same ones who claim to “specialize in” POC of their wealth to support and amplify scholars” and, in turn, the identities and histories, and identify themselves as allies. community-led projects. perspectives we represent. Limited support Public historians are taught to spend more Contribute to mutual aid and solidary for our work highlights a power imbalance time studying and talking about marginalized funds.4 Give money or volunteer your time, in knowledge production. Those who could communities than supporting them. Projects labor, and skills to support marginalized testify to experiences of marginalization, about marginalized communities are rarely communities. The work of history-making who could be leading conversations around critiqued on their worth to those within happens every day and everywhere—at “diversity and inclusion,” are denied access said communities. As scholar Nina Vázquez support groups, activist meetings, and family because of racism and socioeconomic incisively observes, “Just because you are an gatherings. True public history is grassroots inequalities. We are rendered the subjects of academic does not mean you are dismantling and interdisciplinary—storytelling in its most others’ projects, rather than participants, anything. . .To dismantle something is a lot fundamental and accessible forms. I look creators, or interpreters. more than simply discussing it.”2 forward to the creation of new spaces and Young scholars of color are often told that projects for us, by us. I’ve seen white scholars who “specialize in” institutions “need” us. We’re told there’s power Black HIV/AIDS history invited to consult on GVGK Tang is a public historian and community in occupying and disrupting predominately exhibitions over the actual Black HIV/AIDS organizer with a background in transnational white middle-class spaces like conferences, activists whose materials and oral histories queer politics. Connect on Twitter @gvgktang. museums, and archives. But to whose were being exhibited. These scholars and their benefit? Why are we repeatedly called upon 1 Adam Mahoney, “Elite education left blood on my hands. Now it’s my institutions received commendations and responsibility to heal the damage,” RaceBaitr, February 5, 2020, https:// to “improve” projects that exclude us and do funding, while the activists whose histories racebaitr.com/2020/02/05/elite-education-left-blood-on-my-hands- us harm? I’ve witnessed too many brilliant now-its-my-responsibility-to-heal-the-damage. they collected received none—despite donating 2 Nina Vázquez (@NinaVzqz23), Twitter, April 19, 2020, https:// peers burdened with the idea that our worth twitter.com/NinaVzqz23/status/1252062767718244352. their time and their emotional and intellectual 3 is measured by our presence in toxic spaces— Rosales Meza (dr.rosalesmeza), Instagram, February 3, 2020, https:// labor. Such exhibitions are lauded because www.instagram.com/p/B8F8oCWAPlR. that what we say or do or think can only 4 the content is “diverse” and “inclusive.” But, Please consult this list: https://airtable.com/shrfmIPvDggxiorqo. be incubated within the confines of white as Dr. Rosales Meza puts it, “Decolonizing

8 PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS INTRODUCING OUR IMPACT SURVEY TOOLKIT CECILY HILL / [email protected] on trust, empathy, community connection, These surveys assess how these courses and appreciation for and pride in local culture respond to some of veterans’ specific needs, and heritage. Our goal has been to help these such as help dealing with social isolation partners collect information that makes the and building community. They also assess case for their work to a range of stakeholders, how humanities resources (art, film, As of this writing, colleges and universities including funders, organizational leadership, literature, etc.) promote self-reflection and around the nation have closed their doors; most and policymakers. The surveys are designed understanding. have shifted to online learning. In-person public to be broadly useful for humanities faculty and Additionally, sample survey questions, grouped programs are on pause, indefinitely. For the practitioners in highlighting and evaluating their according to impact, are designed to help majority of us, large components of our work programs. you build strong surveys that document your have come to a screeching halt, while we have The toolkit includes: program’s strengths. In addition to using these had to abruptly shift to scores of new personal questions as they are presented, you can adapt and professional challenges. • An introduction to impact-driven surveys; many of them for pre- and post-program surveys, making your evaluations even stronger. At the National Humanities Alliance, we are • Information about why to survey, how to These questions have been tested—we’ve used continuing our work to document the impact construct a survey, and how to administer a them across many programs and found them of the humanities in a variety of contexts, but survey; and successful. with a particular eye toward how humanities • Advice for interpreting and using your data. organizations and institutions are serving their Many programs that we have surveyed to date These surveys have provided us with compelling communities and constituencies during this took place on college campuses, and the toolkit insights into how humanities programs—from challenging time. We are also using this time to also includes a suite of editable surveys that professional development seminars to reading support humanities faculty, practitioners, and can be used in programs run by faculty. These and discussion programs—have an impact on organizations as they plan for the future. include: higher education institutions, their faculty and students, and the communities they serve. They With this in mind, we are launching a new • Pre- and post-program surveys for a have also provided our partners and us with resource for humanities faculty, practitioners, humanities summer bridge program robust quantitative and qualitative data that and organizations. Our new toolkit, Documenting offered to first-generation college students. speaks to the humanities’ broad-ranging impacts the Impact of Your Humanities Program, is aimed Among other measures, this survey includes and can be used to engage policymakers, funders, at helping the humanities community collect questions about college preparedness, leadership, and the public. data about the impact of programs such as interest in internships with humanities professional development seminars, public organizations, and understanding of and During this crisis, we know that humanities humanities projects, and programs for students interest in the humanities. courses and programs are continuing to offer that prepare them for college and help them • Pre- and post-program surveys for two crucial opportunities for people to learn, reflect, imagine humanities careers. By collecting this faculty professional development seminars, and engage in dialogue. And we know that they data, you can better make the case for the impact one focused on an oral history program will provide still more significant opportunities of your work and the resources to support it. and the other on integrating local culture for reflection and connection in the months and years to come. As you plan for the future, we With funding from The Andrew W. Mellon and authors into humanities classrooms. hope that you find this toolkit useful. And we Foundation, since 2018 our NEH for All initiative The surveys focus on access to resources, want to hear from you! If you have questions or has been helping National Endowment for the benefits of building interdisciplinary need advice, please contact Emily McDonald at the Humanities (NEH) grantees document communities of practice, and gains [email protected]. their impact through surveys of participants in content knowledge and capacities appropriate to the curricula. in their programs. In partnership with project Cecily Erin Hill leads NEH for All, an initiative that directors, we’ve designed and implemented • Pre- and post-program surveys for documents the impact of NEH funding and builds the pre- and post-program surveys that take into humanities courses designed specifically for capacity of humanities organizations to communicate account the programs’ immediate goals and veterans, aimed at helping them reflect on that impact. their broader social impacts, including impacts their experiences through humanities texts.

THANK YOU TO NCPH’S SUSTAINING-LEVEL MEMBERS! SUSTAINING MEMBERS MAKE THE WORK OF NCPH POSSIBLE. Anna Adamek Philip Cantelon Suzanne Fischer Trevor Jones Laura Lovett Kristine Navarro- Alan Rowe Santi Thompson Ottawa, ON, Canada Rockville, MD Lansing, MI Lincoln, NE Pittsburgh, PA McElhaney Indianapolis, IN Houston, TX Chuck Arning Leisl Carr Childers Natalie Fousekis Brian Joyner Rachel Maines Santa Fe, NM Stephanie Rowe Robert Townsend Lunenburg, MA Fort Collins, CO Los Angeles, CA Washington, DC Ithaca, NY Elizabeth Nix Indianapolis, IN Alexandria, VA Marianne Babal Larry Cebula Kathleen Franz Ted Karamanski Brian Martin Baltimore, MD Philip Scarpino Max van Balgooy Mill Valley, CA Spokane, WA Washington, DC Palos Park, IL Rockville, MD Katherine Ott Indianapolis, IN Rockville, MD Kristen Baldwin Charles Chamberlain Gilbert Gott Lara Kelland Tanya Maus Washington, DC Tom Scheinfeldt Anne Whisnant Deathridge New Orleans, LA Plant City, FL St. Louis, MO Wilmington, OH Bill Peterson Storrs, CT Chapel Hill, NC Boone, NC Elizabeth Covart Emily Greenwald Lynn Kronzek Denise Meringolo Flagstaff, AZ Kathie Schey Matthew White Mary Battle Williamsburg, VA Missoula, MT Burbank, CA Alexandria, VA Gale Peterson Huntington Beach, CA Falls Church, VA Brooklyn, NY Lindy Cummings Donald Hall Louis Kyriakoudes Karen Miller Cincinnati, OH Constance Schulz William Willingham Rosalind Beiler New Bern, NC Silver Spring, MD Murfreesboro, TN Bellevue, NE Dana Pinelli Columbia, SC Portland, OR Orlando, FL Hugh Davidson Michelle Hamilton Modupe Labode Marla Miller Vero Beach, FL Stephen Sloan Amy Wilson Randy Bergstrom Logan, UT London, ON, Canada Silver Spring, MD Amherst, MA Jay Price Waco, TX Roswell, GA Santa Barbara, CA Michael Devine Keith Hebert Nikki Lamberty Patrick Moore Wichita, KS Angela Smith Robert Wolff Shelley Bookspan Seattle, WA Prattville, AL Northfield, MN White Rock, NM Jeannie Regan-Dinius Fargo, ND New Britain, CT Santa Barbara, CA John Dichtl Tamsen Hert Yolanda Leyva Joanne Murray Indianapolis, IN Gregory Smoak James Brooks Nashville, TN Laramie, WY El Paso, TX Philadelphia, PA Mary Rizzo Salt Lake City, UT Athens, GA Michael Duchemin Glenn Johnston Alexandra Lord Newark, NJ Mark Speltz San Antonio, TX Lutherville, MD Washington, DC Lafayette, CA

PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS 9 NCPH COMMITTEE UPDATES

These updates give a sampling of what NCPH 2021 PROGRAM COMMITTEE takes. The codes team’s work has wrapped for now, volunteers are doing for the organization and the The 2021 Program Committee is gearing up to solicit and those members have joined other groups. The field of public history. The committees encourage your contributions to next spring’s conference in resources team is working with Chelsea Miller on developing resources for various NCPH audiences. your input throughout the year; a list of committee Salt Lake City, Utah. We are especially interested in sessions that give voice to the under-told stories That team also created a program insert with chairs and members can be found at: http://ncph. of diverse peoples, particularly Indigenous peoples information specific to the Atlanta annual meeting. org/about/governance-committees/ living in the Wasatch Front, the American West, and The policy team has been researching restorative other regions across the country. We also encourage justice and harm reduction policies in relation to 2021 LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS participants to ground these stories in the places of gender discrimination and sexual harassment, along COMMITTEE their telling and highlight the ways in which story and with drafting preliminary policies to share with The Local Arrangements Committee for the 2021 place are connected. We are planning a vibrant plenary NCPH’s Governance Committee. The policy team conference is so excited for NCPH to come to Salt session that grapples with the impact of COVID-19 hopes to have the first of these policy drafts ready for Lake City! We have been working hard over the last on our expectations of our most cherished places and review by the end of the summer. For more details, several months to put together tours and events that calls into question whose parks and public lands these see our blog post on History@Work: https://ncph.org/ will showcase both the city and the types of public really are, considering the inequitable impacts of the history-at-work/sexual-harassment-committee-report/ history that are prevalent here. For many of you, this novel coronavirus in Indigenous populations and the Please reach out to the co-chairs with comments or may be your first time to Salt Lake City, and you may fears of local residents living adjacent to these spaces. suggestions. have some preconceived notions of the city and the We are well-suited to meet the challenges of crafting Submitted by co-chairs Kristen Baldwin Deathridge and area itself. In collaboration with the fantastic program a conference in the midst of this crisis. We see all the Mary Rizzo committee, we promise to bring you a conference that archival and community engagement projects NCPH CURRICULUM AND TRAINING highlights Utah’s many communities, landmark events, members have created to document this moment and present-day struggles. Our conference tours and and we encourage everyone involved to bring these COMMITTEE The Curriculum and Training Committee planned events will center on native groups who have called projects to Salt Lake City as well. We hope that you what we anticipated would be an engaging and useful the area home for centuries; white Mormons who will add your voice to the conference and help shape Public History Educators’ Forum for the 2020 NCPH colonized this region in the 19th century; women who the conversations of the organization and the field of Annual Meeting, including table topics for discussion mounted a grassroots campaign to secure suffrage public history at the beginning of its fifth decade. and a report by the Board-Led Subcommittee on for the Utah Territory, one of the first to grant white Submitted by co-chairs Laurie Arnold and Leisl Carr Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment. Then women the vote; Japanese American citizens forced Childers the pandemic happened. We are hopeful that some into the Topaz “Relocation Center,” or concentration of our plans will be portable to the 2021 meeting, camp; and Latinx people who have become the state’s BOARD-LED SUBCOMMITTEE ON although this new world in which we live has changed largest minority group, just to name a few. You’ll GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL the way most of us teach or deliver educational hear from public historians who will share how they HARASSMENT content. This presents a demand for a new best interpret these histories and how communities engage The subcommittee held a virtual meeting in April. The practices document—something that we are hopeful with and mobilize these stories in the present. We look survey team continues their work drafting a survey our committee can produce in the coming year. forward to welcoming you to Salt Lake! that will gather data on who is most affected by sexual Submitted by co-chairs Sasha Coles and Matt Godfrey harassment and gender discrimination, at what stages We have completed an update to the list of NCPH in their training or career, and what form harassment professionals willing to serve as external reviewers for programs or promotion and tenure, and NCPH staff have posted the revised list on the NCPH website. Updates and new additions to resources for educators are underway, including a reorganization of the recommended readings and new best practices CALL FOR PROPOSALS documents related to community engagement and teaching online. We are reviewing the balance of The Presence and Persistence of Stories academic- and practitioner-focused sessions at previous conferences and will provide that data to the 2021 Salt Lake City, Utah, March 24-27, 2021 | Hilton Salt Lake City Center NCPH Annual Meeting Program Committee. Stories are the cornerstones of our relationship to each other and to the land. With each telling We are delighted to report that most of the committee and re-telling, we reinforce relationships, we bridge past and present, and we lay foundations members will return for another term, which will for the future. A single place might have many histories, it might have vibrant pasts distinct from provide us with continuity and the time necessary our own, but through our stories, our memories, and our experiences, we become inextricably to complete our charge of “promoting excellence in connected to that place. This conference celebrates stories and histories, and explicitly grounds education and other training within the public history field.” them in the land of their telling. Submitted by co-chairs Jennifer Dickey and Leslie Madsen

At the dawn of NCPH’s fifth decade, this conference invites sessions that illuminate the ways DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE stories of the past bring meaning to the present and that consider how narratives form and re- Until COVID-19 wreaked havoc on NCPH’s annual meeting and its investment account, the form through the ongoing nature of their interpretation. While the theme is particularly focused Development Committee expected to announce on Indigenous storytelling, the telling of under-told stories, and what it means to speak stories to in Atlanta the success of 2020 Vision: Endowment future generations, we also hope to engage histories that reveal the dynamism and complexities Campaign for a Brighter Future, with over $1 million of all communities, known and less-known. in our endowment account. Only the generosity of The online proposal system is now online via http://bit.ly/NCPH2021; ​ many individuals made this possible, so “thank you” proposals are due by July 15, 2020. to all who contributed. Recent events underscore the importance of having an endowment capable of Leisl Carr Childers, Photo of Jetsonorama (Chip Thomas) Art on the Navajo Nation near Page, Arizona 2012. both expanding NCPH’s ability to serve its members and the ability to weather unexpected challenges. So, the Development Committee remains committed 2020 to the task and will soon be working toward NCPH Putting history to work in the world realizing that long-sought milestone. In the next ATL 40 www.ncph.org YEARS CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE NCPH COMMITTEE UPDATES // CONT’D. FROM PAGE 10 few months the Development Committee, with the submission this summer. The unsettling fact of the what the Long Range Plan is and why planning for the board’s direction, will devise and begin implementing matter is that none of us know just how COVID-19 is future is so critical for NCPH during this crisis. a strategy to make that happen. In the meantime, we going to affect the shape of all face-to-face meetings in The LRP is a living document, and we encourage all ask that those who have yet to fulfill an earlier pledge the future. There is good reason to believe that future members to take a few moments (or a lot of moments, and have the capacity should still plan to do so, and meetings will be somewhat changed as a result of the it’s very thorough!) to look it over and consider perhaps even consider increasing that pledge if finances pandemic, and we will have to see how these changes sending us their thoughts. allow. Those who made one-time contributions can segue with the issues discussed in the report. Submitted by co-chairs Abby Gautreau and Will Stoutamire likewise consider making an additional contribution, Submitted by co-chairs Will Ippen and Phil Levy or even better make a new pledge that can be paid MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE over a number of years as they can. However the GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE In February, the Membership Committee held a Following the completion of work on the NCPH contributions may be made, together we will secure a Twitter chat with practical advice and suggestions Events Code of Conduct, the Governance Committee brighter future for NCPH. for those attending their first NCPH meeting. The has turned its focus to updating and revising the Submitted by co-chairs Bill Bryans and Dee Harris committee hoped to replicate the successes of past New NCPH Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. As Member and First Time attendee meet-up events and part of this work, we solicited feedback from NCPH DIGITAL MEDIA GROUP the Shared Wisdom session at the annual meeting in The Digital Media Group held our annual meeting committees, wrote a History@Work post to engage the Atlanta. Once the in-person meeting was canceled, the virtually on March 20, 2020. The meeting included NCPH membership, and surveyed comparable codes of Membership Committee quickly pivoted to moving as a lengthy discussion of the proposed Digital Public ethics. The Governance Committee continues to work much of its content online as possible. History Directory. This proposal would create a on a proposed new draft of the Code of Ethics, to be searchable, categorized directory of digital public shared with the office and board in the next couple of The committee also used the timeslot for the New history projects to be hosted on the NCPH website. months. Member and First Time attendee gathering to host We also discussed the decision to cancel the popular a welcoming Twitter chat. The participants in the The Governance Committee has also explored models Digital Public History Lab that was planned for the “Shared Wisdom: NCPH From the Pros” session for an ombud position that might help NCPH during NCPH Annual Meeting in Atlanta. We look forward to recalibrated their presentation in two ways. With the annual meetings and at other events as necessary. reviving the Lab at next year’s conference. NCPH Membership Coordinator Stasia Tanzer’s Additionally, the Committee has been evaluating assistance, three of the panelists recorded a YouTube NCPH’s social media presence has expanded existing on-boarding and exit processes for the NCPH video featuring their tips and suggestions for significantly in the past year. Our Instagram account, Board of Directors and developing documentation to navigating an NCPH meeting, building professional which we started in June 2019, currently has around support committee chairs. We are continuing to have networks, and engaging with NCPH. Additionally, 1,700 followers. We featured 25 “Instagram Takeovers” conversations about policy development and ways to during the session timeslot, the panelists and other by NCPH members, which included students, board strengthen the governance of NCPH. committee members participated in a companion members, public history programs and professors, Submitted by chair Krista McCracken Twitter chat, which yielded a variety of thoughtful archivists, consultants, museum professionals, responses from the wider NCPH membership. programmers, and international members. We also JOINT TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC HISTORY covered a handful of NCPH events on Instagram, EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT In the next year, the committee will continue to including the #NCPH2020 Virtual Poster Session. The Joint Task Force is working to share the findings encourage NCPH members to hold events as part of of its two major reports and bring its work to a the “After Work” networking program. The members On the NCPH website, the History@Work blog remains conclusion. Recent discussions outlined a plan for will also continue to contact lapsed members with second in popularity to the NCPH job board. From preparing blog posts for History@Work and similar a personal email, encouraging them to renew their January 2019 to January 2020, the blog had over 52,000 forums and consulting graduate students for their NCPH membership. Membership Committee co-chair page views; over 44,000 of those views were unique. perspectives on the surveys of public history employers Krista McCracken rotated off the committee this We recently put out a call for blog posts related to and alumni of master’s programs in public history. The spring; Krista’s dedication to and leadership of this commemoration and public history task force will share summaries of its accomplishments committee will be missed. (https://ncph.org/history-at-work/pitches- with the four sponsoring organizations later this year Submitted by co-chairs Kristin Ahlberg and Krista commemoration-public-history/). and recommend that it be disbanded. McCracken Last but not least, Will Walker, one of History@Work’s Submitted by co-chairs Daniel Vivian and Philip Scarpino founding editors, recently stepped down from his post NEW PROFESSIONAL AND STUDENT LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE COMMITTEE as one of the blog’s lead editors. We are grateful for his The Long Range Planning Committee has been hard years of service to the Digital Media Group, and he will In January, the NCPH board approved our at work. In response to input from NCPH staff, board committee’s request to change our name from the be greatly missed! Evan Faulkenbury, who had been an members, and committee chairs, we have revamped affiliate editor, has agreed to move into this “New Professional and Graduate Student Committee” our system for monitoring and assisting with the to the “New Professional and Student Committee.” editorial role. implementation of the 2017-2022 Long Range Plan Submitted by chair Laura Miller Changing the name allows us to better advocate for our (LRP). A revised committee liaison system will constituents, who increasingly include students from COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL maximize efficiency and improve communication all levels. between our committee members and those designated SUSTAINABILITY Our committee was looking forward to hosting a new The Committee on Environmental Sustainability has as responsible for undertaking the activities outlined by event at the annual meeting in Atlanta: an introductory been focused on our Green Meetings report. While the LRP. We are currently developing a series of easy- breakfast during which our committee could share the cancelation of the Atlanta conference did radically to-use Google Form worksheets that distill the LRP our works in progress, and field questions from new reduce NCPH’s carbon footprint, that sort of reduction into only those activities relevant to each “responsible professionals and students about how we can best was not what we had in mind. The cancelation of party.” These worksheets will be distributed every six serve them and their needs within the organization. the meeting broadsided our plans and we have yet to months to the appropriate staff, board members, and While we couldn’t convene in-person, we did host a regroup during the stay-at-home period. Once things committee chairs, helping to keep the important goals Twitter Chat Monday, March 23rd, during which we return to some semblance of normal—ideally this of the LRP at the forefront of all our minds as we build accomplished some of the same goals. We hope to summer or fall at the latest—we will pick up where we towards the future for NCPH. continue hosting these #NCPHBeverageBreak chats on left off. Sadly, the expected outcomes of the scheduled Our committee has also been brainstorming ways in a semi-regular basis. face-to-face meetings are largely lost, leaving several which we can help NCPH recover from the cancelation agenda items unaddressed. We will have a Zoom of the annual meeting and adapt to the new realities In addition to remaining active on Twitter, we seek meeting once the spring academic semester is over. brought on by COVID-19. Each worksheet will include contributions to the History@Work blog, and we are Members of the committee had planned to harvest a special section for expressing concerns and providing continuing to develop a Public History Navigator for feedback on the latest draft of the Green Meetings input on how the LRP might respond to the present the job market. Numerous committee members are report. The goal had been to incorporate NCPH moment. Members can also look forward to a History@ CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Board feedback and move towards completion and Work post in the not-too-distant future describing PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS 11 PANDEMICS AND PUBLIC HISTORY // CONT’D. FROM PAGE 1 that point to ways that public historians can uwm.edu/omeka/covid19mke) now contains The project raises important questions respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. nearly three hundred items that include oral about crowdsourcing, the nature of shared histories, images, video recordings, tweets, authority, and the purpose of the archive emails, personal statements, church bulletins, within the context of “rapid response history.” official orders, and school schedules. Cantwell Any crowd-sourced archive intended to figured that the project could be the best way collect widely and give voice to many must “to show students how public history can necessarily be an exercise in shared authority. respond to the needs of their community.” Yet mediation is necessary. Cain points to It has become something more, allowing his the tension between building an archive students to do something positive and tangible and creating a memorial site as one point to help their community. of mediation. Tebeau believes that another critical role for public historians is to identify the silences that exist in the archive and curate them to make the collection more inclusive. With numerous COVID-19 projects launching, Wingo worries about a At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, reverse “Field of Dreams” problem: “what Christopher Cantwell was teaching local if you build it and no one comes?” Will so history research methods as COVID-19 many independent, unconnected projects get became a global crisis. Cantwell studies lost in the rush to document the pandemic, American religion and was using the city’s potentially reducing their impact? It is perhaps houses of worship as an avenue for his students better, she believes, that public historians to engage community-based research. But contribute to fewer but larger projects, thus halfway through the semester as the pandemic sharing the stories of many communities. In spread and schools including UWM shifted At Arizona State University, colleagues this regard, Tebeau is hopeful that the linked to remote instruction, he and his students Catherine O’Donnell and Mark Tebeau data features of OMEKA S will make the came to the same conclusion—they had to hit brainstormed how they could help their project much more than a crowd-sourced the reset button and start the class over with students confront the pandemic while archive, allowing users to identify intersections a focus on COVID-19. Cantwell utilized the reimagining the role of the archive. As the and magnifying the importance of individual History Harvest Handbook to orient his students realization set in that many public historians archives. and then, working in pairs, the students took in many communities were thinking along responsibility for a specific collecting area. The the same lines, what began as a local impulse The two projects I have touched upon here class identified communities and stories that quickly expanded. Tebeau tweeted out an only scratch the surface of what is being captured Milwaukee’s particular experience. invitation for collaborators and the response done and what is possible. They point to the The hard-hit African American community, was immediate. Among the first to answer constructive value of public history practice which has suffered 70% of the city’s COVID- the call were Victoria Cain of Northeastern in uncertain times. Echoing the experience of 19 cases and 80% of its associated deaths, was University and Rebecca Wingo of the Cantwell’s students in Milwaukee, Victoria an obvious focus. Wisconsin also conducted a University of Cincinnati. The team now Cain believes one of the most gratifying controversial in-person primary election in the includes almost ninety historians at colleges, aspects of the work has been the “sense of midst of the pandemic, and so documenting universities, and museums from around the meaning and purpose for those involved at a the stories of poll workers and voters became United States, Canada, and Australia. And time when so many feel helpless.” another imperative. Fearing that focusing with funding provided by the Noel Stowe active collecting efforts on front line health- endowment at ASU, Tebeau and company Gregory E. Smoak is the President of NCPH and is care workers would be a burden and a launched A Journal of the Plague Year: An Archive director of the American West Center and Associate distraction, however, the class decided to save of COVID-19. (https://covid19.omeka.net) Professor of History at University of Utah. their stories for a later phase of the archive. The website COVID-19 MKE (https://liblamp.

NCPH COMMITTEE UPDATES // CONT’D. FROM PAGE 11 also involved with collaborative projects with other the opportunity to come together for virtual speed are disappointed that many could not be moved to committees. networking. Beyond the positive comments we a virtual setting, but are very happy that some were Submitted by co-chairs Julie Peterson and Harvee White received from both rotators and non-rotators, the made available. Professional Development Committee and the NCPH Committee Reorganization: After five years as PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT office are thrilled by our membership’s proficient use of the co-chairs for the Professional Development COMMITTEE technology and are inspired to host more virtual events Committee, Jessica Knapp and Nick Sacco will step The Professional Development Committee is reeling outside of the annual meeting going forward. from the quick actions taken by NCPH for a virtual down from their roles on this committee. Over the 2020 NCPH Annual Meeting and is grateful to have Workshops: The committee worked together in the next few months, a new chair or co-chairs will be offered a virtual Speed Networking event. summer of 2019 to choose appropriate workshops for identified and will lead the committee to its the 2020 conference and were pleased with the quality next stage. Speed Networking: With the world in the state it is, of these workshops compared to previous years. We Submitted by co-chairs Jessica Knapp and Nick Sacco we offered public historians new and experienced

12 PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS PRESENT AT THE CREATION: A CONVERSATION WITH PIONEERS OF THE PUBLIC HISTORY MOVEMENT – PART I // CONT’D. FROM PAGE 7 AA: Oh yes. There was now a strong sense AA: It gave me great hope that students who AA: I was trained in French History. So, when I of professional community and the value of were just starting to be trained in public history heard about NCPH, I was thinking “Aux armes history beyond academia—in public education, would make significant contributions to society, citoyens!” This is the French Revolution of in government work (national, state, local and to the communities in which they lived, and Rising Expectations, something social scientists military), in private enterprise, and in cultural to the organizations and agencies they worked now tell us is a critical moment in every affairs. It was like there was suddenly a whole for. I remember thinking the graduates of these revolution. The first thing you have to do is get world of colleagues to talk to and seek or offer programs would be great contributors to the organized. NCPH for me was like the creation of advice to. family and business history programs I was the French National Convention in the 1790s—a working on. I subsequently was involved in point of no return. Get organized and get on 5) What were your observations about the hiring five public history graduates—from UCSB, with it. Fortunately, in NCPH’s founding, there emerging field at the time? NYU and Cal State, Fullerton—for fulltime jobs was no Reign of Terror (as far as I know), just at Wells Fargo. a growing sense of legitimacy, confidence, and AJ: I was impressed with the excitement and rising expectations for the successful employment enthusiasm for public history in the academy; I 6) What did you think would be the value of trained historians and archivists. was really worried that the academic interest in of creating an organization dedicated to public history would subside once there was no public history? Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for Part II of this piece in longer a “jobs crisis.” the next issue of Public History News, where those AJ: I thought it was necessary, even though the present at the creation of NCPH discuss early and PC: I thought it might offer hope for interest and encouragement of existing national continued challenges, lasting relevance, and advice for professionals in transition and certainly respect organizations—AHA, OAH, AASLH—continued the future. Special thanks to NCPH’s 40 th Anniversary and equality for professionals in the public to be important. Ad Hoc Committee Chair Marianne Babal for history field. It did happen in part within the working so hard to make sure these reflections federal community, but not so much in public PC: I favored it as a broader umbrella for are able to reach our members despite the meeting history, which had trouble identifying what professional historians than the AHA or cancelation. it wanted to do—public policy, museums, OAH. But Jim Banner may have been correct. archives, and other course work that would The professional groups did not dance well lead to jobs more than thorough professional together in the first decade of existence—more training, depending on the programs that sprung co-existence than cooperation. up to retain history faculty whose traditional enrollments were dropping.

NCPH 40TH COMMITTEE – WRAP UP REPORT MARIANNE BABAL / [email protected] We had plans to reprise our exhibit booth Consider these activities celebrating NCPH’s Unfortunately, and NCPH “Founders” slideshow in Atlanta, legacy to be postponed, not ended. We will cancelation and Barb Howe doggedly tracked down gather again next year to enjoy the fellowship of the Atlanta biographies and photos of folks who attended of public historians and raise a glass to NCPH th 1980 meeting organizing meetings in 1979 and 1980. Kristen on our way to our 50 birthday! As chair of the th upended plans Baldwin Deathridge and students helped 40 Anniversary Ad-Hoc committee, I’d like to for sessions update the slides. Special letters of invitation thank Meghan Hillman and the NCPH staff for and events to Atlanta went out to over 150 Founder- their support, and thank committee members 2020 celebrating generation public historians and former NCPH Nicole Belolan, Rebecca Conard, Kristen 40 NCPH’s 40th board members. As a result, a number of early Baldwin Deathridge, Patrick Grossi, Barb YEARS th anniversary. members reconnected for our 40 anniversary, Howe, Amber Mitchell, Kristine Navarro- Of four planned 40th themed sessions, “Public which was very gratifying. McElhany, Phil Scarpino, and Amy Wilson. History and Gender Equity: A Long View,” Plans had been made to conduct oral Marianne Babal is Senior Historian and Vice was offered virtually. An International content histories with three invitees prominent in President at Wells Fargo. She is a Past President panel may be re-proposed in 2021. Papers NCPH history. Sue Verhoef and Kristine of NCPH and currently serves on our Development from “Threads of Origin” will appear in a McCusker of Oral History in the Southeast Committee. She is chair of the NCPH 40th future issue of The Public Historian. Reflections graciously volunteered to conduct these, Anniversary Ad Hoc Committee. from the panel “Present at the Creation: A which may be revisited in the future. Thanks Conversation with Pioneers of the Public to Sue and Kristine, and Barb Howe, who History Movement” are in this newsletter. drafted questions. Finally, NCPH member In addition, a number of essays have been Jen Myronek, who is also a video producer, solicited for a 40th anniversary commemorative volunteered to film some 40th events and e-publication in the works for digital release sessions. Hopefully we will be able to call on in late summer. Co-editors are myself, Patrick Jen’s talents for a future celebration. Thanks Grossi, and NCPH digital media editor also to the Local Arrangements Committee Nicole Belolan. Thanks to authors who have and Atlanta event sponsors for all their contributed essays so far. planning and support.

PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS 13 HIGHLIGHTS FROM CONFERENCE WORKING GROUPS Four of the working groups that met as part of the Prior to the planned meeting, working group and post-partum. Another component of this virtual 2020 conference have provided summaries of participants wrote case statements discussing resource guide will be templates with example their discussions. NCPH working groups are seminar- what drew them to the working group, including wording to best communicate with employers, like conversations that take place before and during the previous work confronting white supremacy. We community partners, and clients about the often conference. The groups, comprised of eight to fourteen created a shared values document which guided intimate situations that occur on the road to people, explore in-depth a subject of shared concern our interactions and helped ground our work. parenthood and early parenthood, such as fertility and work toward a common purpose and outcome. If We shared resources, including works by Layla treatments, prenatal doctor visits, breastfeeding, you are interested in creating a working group for the F. Saad, Ibram X. Kendi, Museums as Site for and emergency childcare situations. Secondly, 2021 NCPH Annual Meeting, proposals are due July 15, Social Action, and Robin DiAngelo. Participants we will examine the creation of a private “Public 2020. (See the Call for Proposals at http://ncph.org/ commented on the case statements, sparking a History Parents” Facebook group as a way for conference/2021-annualmeeting/calls-for-proposals/.) pre-conference dialogue about change making people to ask questions and find support. Thirdly, and shared experiences around confronting white we will be looking into the possibility of forming WG1. PUBLIC HISTORIANS IN OUR supremacy. an NCPH subcommittee on parenting and public history to ensure that we keep working on these CLIMATE EMERGENCY We met via Zoom in early April to reflect on the pertinent issues. Our goal is that these resources The twelve members of the “Public Historians in work undertaken so far and to make plans for will in some small way help others navigate Our Climate Emergency” Working Group had future work. Overwhelmingly, we found the work parenthood and public history. already been commenting on one another’s case helpful and there was enthusiasm for creating an statements for a month when we received the ongoing space to check in and share resources. -EMILY MCEWEN news that we would not be meeting in person in We plan to produce a blog post of our resources Atlanta. This facilitated our ability to turn our and are in discussions of how to continue this WG7. PHILANTHROPY AND PUBLIC session on March 19 into a video conference, and work at the 2021 conference in Salt Lake City. HISTORY produced a recording that we would not have had While we were disappointed we could not meet in Together, the members of our working group set otherwise. The participants discussed their own person and put our pre-work into practice in the out to explore the ways in which philanthropy work and different actions that public historians conference setting, the group remained committed (foundation, individual, and corporate giving) can take in relation to the climate crisis, which to our core vision and hope to share more in and public history interact within nonprofit included material contributions such as disaster coming months. organizations. We stated the goal to identify the ways in which philanthropy and public history preparedness and cultural resources monitoring, -KRISTEN BALDWIN DEATHRIDGE as well as contributions to public education and can have a positive reciprocal relationship. interpretation. Our discussions of how our quickly WG5. PUBLIC HISTORY PARENTS: Our method included sharing case studies that changed lives under a pandemic relates to the LEANING IN, OPTING OUT, AND demonstrate the successes, challenges, and limitations of this relationship. We planned to “rapid transition” required by climate change and FINDING WORK-LIFE BALANCE review the case studies, determine key takeaways, of re-interpreting long-held museum objects in The Public History Parents working group met and identify the best way to disseminate light of climate change awareness were especially virtually via Zoom on March 19, 2020, most of us recommendations for philanthropy in public interesting. Our conversation focused on how with our children somewhere in the background, history institutions during our time at the NCPH public historians can be guided by the principles of which seemed especially appropriate for our topic. conference. environmental justice to work with low-income Comprised of eleven professionals from academia, people and people of color. One example offered federal and local government, and the consulting Although we didn’t have the opportunity to come by a participant is the Gullah Geechee in South field, we tackled a series of issues that came out together in Atlanta, we contemplated case studies Carolina, and the questions of loss and mitigation as common threads within our individual case and real-life issues via a shared Google Document raised by helping to document and protect aspects statements. Our broad goal is to create a set of prior to the conference. I will take this opportunity of their heritage threatened by rising sea levels and guidelines for how public history institutions of to share some of the questions and discussion the increased incidence of violent storms. all kinds can provide parents, and those trying to topics we had planned to delve into: We anticipate compiling an online resource become parents, with the support they need. 1. How can we communicate the potential of from the participants’ case statements that can Six themes emerged from our case statement building a reciprocal relationship between illuminate various strategies public historians can prompts, which became the basis of our two-hour philanthropy and public history to staff, use to work with communities using heritage discussion: flexibility, lactation support, sense of board members, stakeholders, etc. within our as a tool for climate change education and community, clear explanations of benefits and institutions? mobilization. rights, work culture, and staying relevant. What 2. Is it possible to create more inclusive - DAVID GLASSBERG AND DONNA GRAVES became abundantly clear from our lively discussion historical narratives/programming while was not only that we all shared many similar meeting fundraising goals? What is the WG3. CHALLENGING WHITE PUBLIC experiences, but that there is an urgent need for interplay between inclusive history and HISTORY public history institutions to provide more support philanthropy? This working group was formed to begin to for working parents. Obviously, this is a national address behavior observed by the group leaders at crisis that is now being felt even more acutely 3. How can we leverage the relationship previous NCPH meetings and in our institutional within the current pandemic. between philanthropy and public history to settings. At the core of our vision for the working advance the strategic goals of our institutions? However, we did devise a list of concrete measures group was the idea that white people must do the we will work on implementing in the upcoming 4. What does successful grant administration work to undo white supremacy. The working months to provide resources for those balancing and project management look like and how group’s primary goals were to nurture a reflective parenthood with careers in public history. can these actions serve as a means to secure space for doing the internal and interpersonal Many voiced confusion over HR policies and future funding? work necessary to dismantle whiteness in not knowing the right questions to ask as they our professional shared spaces, including the 5. Is it possible for funders to take a leadership prepared for parental leave. To that end, we conference space itself. role in advancing inclusive public history? will create an online resource guide to include a -ABBY CURTIN TEARE checklist of questions to ask HR during pregnancy

14 PUBLIC HISTORY NEWS PUBLIC HISTORY PETS Normally this issue of Public History News would include a spread of photos from our annual meeting, which of course was not an option this year. Instead, we came up with a hopefully cheerful alternative: animals! Many of you are working from home with new coworkers who are either helping you through this time or distracting you (or doing both simultaneously). In April, we put out a call for your #publichistorypets, and it was a joy to see so many of you embrace this effort. Please enjoy this spread of pet photos!

Meet Karen Wizevich’s cats Mango and Juma (who Meet Rebecca Patillo’s cats, Mulder and Jimmy Meet Todd Jones’ dog Emma, reading The Public Meet Cynthia Resor’s dog Ruby, featured in a “read looks like his brother’s “Russian fur hat!”). Image Carter. “Both are retired from their federal Historian. Image courtesy Todd Jones. aloud” video. Image courtesy video by Cynthia Resor. courtesy Karen Wizevich. government positions.” Image courtesy Rebecca Patillo.

Meet B Hinesley’s “Covid Kittens,” Billie, Leona, Meet Kristyn Scorsone’s dog Shirley. “I could not Meet Stevy Acevedo’s dogs Nikko and Chloe. Image Meet Meredith Peruzzi’s cats Hima (left) and Spot Rommie, DG, & Remmie, born on March 15th. Image get through this without her!” Image courtesy Kristyn courtesy Stevy Acevedo. (right). “There’s definitely some lazy coworkers out courtesy B Geneva Hinesley. Scorsone. there.” Image courtesy Meredith Peruzzi.

Meet John Marks’s dog Ollie. “Having a Meet Hilary Miller’s cat Penelope, “one Meet Catherine Stiers’ dog, Charlotte. Meet Morgen Young’s cat Sammy. “Unlike Meet Kim Campbell’s dogs Wyatt Earp rough time now that the toddler is always of the many #publichistorypets working Image courtesy Catherine Stiers. his human, he’s loving the stay-at-home (left) and Doc Holliday (right), “helping home.” Image courtesy John Marks. hard right now!” Image courtesy Hilary orders.” Image courtesy Morgen Young. with remote work.” Image courtesy Kim Miller. Campbell.

Meet Hayley Noble’s cat, “the regal Artemis.” Image Meet A. Nicole Hill’s dog, Chaucer. “He’s a veteran Meet JJ Compton’s dogs, Cassi and Vega, who are Meet Will Stoutamire’s cat Matsson, “helping me write courtesy Hayley Noble. of public parks and historic sites and my favorite “wondering why I keep going to the car to do my oral a book review.” Image courtesy Will Stoutamire. research assistant.” Image courtesy A. Nicole Hill. history field research.” Image courtesy JJ Compton.

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