History of the National Archives at New York City

John Celardo

John Celardo worked at the National Archives for 35 years, starting at the Federal Records Center on Washington Street in New York in 1970. He moved with the office to Bayonne, NJ, and then again to Varick Street in New York. He rose among the ranks in the Archives branch and eventually served as acting director of the New York office. He was responsible for moving thousands of records during the FRC closure in Bayonne to the Varick Street office. In his oral history, he talks about the Varick Street location being one of the busiest regions, the many office locations over the years, NARA’s independence from the General Services Administration, and how the genealogy boom increased staffing to assist with public demand.

Dorothy Dougherty

Dorothy Dougherty started her 25-year career with the National Archives at College Park, MD, working as an archives specialist on the descriptive catalog. She later moved back to New York serving in the role of senior records analyst assisting federal agencies with records management training. She eventually became the regional Public Programs Director for the Northeast Region and assisted in the development of a new regional office. She was part of the move team to create a new and very public-facing presence for the New York office at One Bowling Green as well as assisting headquarters in developing numerous public programs for the National Archives YouTube channel. Dorothy retired from the agency in May, 2025. 

Mary Kinahan-Ockay

Mary Kinahan-Ockay started her National Archives career at the Federal Records Center when it was located in Bayonne, NJ. She was hired as an archives technician and eventually transitioned into the Archives branch as an archivist before ultimately retiring in December of 2022 after 24 years with the agency. In her interview, she discusses the agency’s independence from the General Services Administration, both the Bayonne and Varick Street locations, becoming one of the first NARA employees allowed to work part-time for better work-life balance, and the popularity of genealogy research in the regions.

Joe Majid

Joe Majid served as an archives technician at the National Archives at New York City when it was located on Varick Street, from 2001 until 2009. In his interview, he shares how the agency worked to support his service as an active military member and the tours he served during the early 2000s. Joe left the agency in 2009 to work at the Department of Defense and eventually retired in 2018.