Press/Journalists

National Archives Unveils Portrait Of Former Archivist Of The United States
Press Release · Thursday, June 2, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C…. John W. Carlin, Archivist of the United States from 1995 until February 2005, was honored recently by the agency he once headed, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), with the unveiling of his official portrait.

The portrait, taken by Robert Severi Photography, will hang in the grand staircase of the National Archives Building along the National Mall in Washington. The unveiling took place in a special ceremony on May 19, at which two other former Archivists, Robert M. Warner and Don W. Wilson, were also honored.

During the ceremony, Allen Weinstein, who succeeded Carlin as Archivist in February, noted that Carlin recognized the importance of preserving the digital records of government and launched the Electronic Records Archives project, which will allow future access to these electronic records far into the future with the technology in use then.

Weinstein also said Carlin had the "vision and the courage" to meet the challenge of turning the National Archives Building in Washington into a "world-class cultural destination," with the expanded exhibition and meeting spaces and the renovation of the building's Rotunda, which houses the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. To do this, Weinstein said, Carlin "worked tirelessly" with Congress and with the Foundation for the National Archives "to create a very special public/private partnership that was an enormous success."

Before becoming Archivist, Carlin served in the Kansas state legislature for eight years and was Speaker of the House his last term. In 1978 he was elected Governor of Kansas, and served two four-year terms. Carlin then joined the faculty of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, teaching graduate courses in public administration. He was Chief Executive Officer of Midwest Superconductivity in Lawrence, Kansas, when appointed Archivist of the United States in 1995.

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For press information, please call the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-501-5526.

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