Archivist Allen Weinstein Honors National Archives Mid-Atlantic Region Staff
Press Release · Friday, December 2, 2005

Washington, DC…At the National Archives and Records Administration annual State of the Archives Address and Awards Ceremony yesterday, Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein recognized 19 staff members of the National Archives, Mid-Atlantic Region located in Philadelphia, PA for their outstanding contributions to the agency.

In his remarks, Professor Weinstein addressed NARA employees saying, "Your professionalism, your commitment to the work at hand, your response to NARA customers and partners, your sense of mission, have all been exemplary. I thank each and every NARA employee who has contributed to my understanding of the agency. Our customers recognize, as I do, the high quality of work performed at NARA."

The following Mid-Atlantic Region employees were given the "Outstanding Achievement in Promoting Civic Understanding in a Diverse Society" group award for their success in bringing the National History Day program back to Philadelphia after a nearly 20 year absence: Mid-Atlantic Region Director V. Chapman-Smith and employees David Miller, Meg Phillips, Lee Webster, John McEvoy, Angelo Davis, David Weber, David Roland, Dana Keene Sloan, Elliott Drago, Patrick Connelly, Colleen Rafferty, Brenda Bernard, Diane Ermillo, Matthew Dibiase, Gail Farr, Kathleen Groch, Jefferson Moak, and Leslie Simon.

The project reached more than 200 educators, providing teacher workshops on the National History Day program throughout Philadelphia and in most inner city public school settings. The workshops were essential to teacher participation in the program and provided a forum for the National Archives and its partners to help teachers understand how to use primary resources in the classroom. The Mid-Atlantic Region also hosted various open house programs for student researchers, giving students the special support needed to do primary research.

The result of this team’s efforts was a highly successful Philadelphia National History Day competition in April 2005, with every qualifying student receiving a full scholarship to attend the Pennsylvania State Finals.

By reestablishing an acclaimed educational program in the Greater Philadelphia region, this team has created a significant opportunity for educators and students in America’s fifth largest urban area. They marshaled a significant segment of the Philadelphia community to work together to improve the quality of education in the local schools with particular focus on public schools with high minority and low-income populations.

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

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