National Archives Public Programs in November
Press Release · Thursday, October 26, 2023

Washington, DC

In November, the National Archives will present free public programs at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, at its Presidential Libraries nationwide, and online. Programs this month include book talks with award-winning authors and Dia de los Muertos workshops as well as a continuation of the Young Learners Program.

(In person) The Harry Middleton Lecture Presents: LBJ’s America
Thursday, November 2, at 6:30 p.m. ET 
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin, TX
Register to attend in person 
Fifty years after President Johnson's death, this year’s Middleton Lecture will explore all aspects of LBJ’s life and presidency. The event brings together eminent historians of the 1960s who have contributed to the newly published LBJ’s America: The Life and Legacies of Lyndon Baines Johnson. The evening will include two conversations: one will examine President Johnson’s place in the long sweep of American politics, and a second will evaluate the Johnson Presidency’s record in connection with race relations and other dimensions of domestic policy.

(In person) Ambassador Sichan Siv: Citizenship in the World
Saturday, November 4, at 9:45 a.m. CT
George Bush H.W. Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, TX
Register to attend in person
The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library invites Scouts, Scout leaders, American Heritage Girls, and everyone interested in civic literacy to a presentation with Ambassador Sichan Siv. The event will help Scouts partially complete the requirements of their Citizenship in the World Merit Badge. Prior to the event, attendees are encouraged to read Ambassador Siv’s best selling autobiography, Golden Bones.

(In person) Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) Family History Workshops: Create Your Own Nicho
Sunday, November 4, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. CT
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Independence, MO
RSVP  to attend in person
Share your family history by creating a Day of the Dead Nicho honoring a person or pet who has died. You may bring in photos or use provided materials to remember their favorite foods, sports, hobbies, or activities. All are welcome.

(Online) U.S. Foreign Policy: Current Challenges
Monday, November 6, at 6 p.m. ET 
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Register online 
Michael Beckley, professor of political science at Tufts University; Kimberly Marten, professor of political science at Barnard College, Columbia University; and Arturo Sarakhan, former ambassador of Mexico to the United States, discuss current U.S. foreign policy challenges and opportunities. Ravi Agrawal, editor in chief of Foreign Policy, moderates.

(In person) Melissa Estes Blair, Author of Bringing Home the White House: The Hidden History of Women Who Shaped the Presidency in the Twentieth Century
Tuesday, November 7, at 7 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Open to the public
In Bringing Home the White House, Melissa Estes Blair introduces us to five fascinating yet largely unheralded women who were at the heart of campaigns to elect and reelect some of our most beloved Presidents. By examining the roles of these political strategists in affecting the outcome of Presidential elections, Blair sheds light on their historical importance and the relevance of their individual influence.

(In person) Bret Baier Book Release: Duel Across Time
Wednesday, November 15, at 10:30 a.m. CT
George Bush H.W. Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, TX
Register to attend in person
Teachers and students, join us as we welcome Bret Baier, New York Times bestselling author, Fox News Chief Political Anchor, and host of Special Report with Bret Baier, as he discusses his new book, Duel Across Time. This is the first book in a thrilling new time-bending graphic novel series about kids who use their love of history to thwart an evil time traveler’s scheme to change the past—perfect for students in grades 3–8.

(In person) Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 3 p.m. ET 
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Register to attend in person 
Heather Cox Richardson, Boston College professor of history, discusses her new book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, with Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic.

(Online) National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program: Meet Tuskegee Airmen
Thursday, November 16, at 11 a.m. ET
Register online
Come learn about the first African American flying unit in the U.S. military, responsible for protecting U.S. bomber planes from German fighter planes during World War II. Speaker John McCaskill, historian, educator, and reenactor will bring the experiences and legacy of the Tuskegee Airman to life as he portrays a composite flier of the famous Red Tails Squadron.

(In person) Undefeated: From Basketball to Battle: West Point’s Perfect Season 1944 with Jim Noles
Thursday, November 16, at 2 p.m. ET
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, NY
Register to attend in person
The FDR Presidential Library presents a conversation and book signing with Jim Noles, author of Undefeated: From Basketball to Battle: West Point’s Perfect Season 1944. The event will be held in the Henry A. Wallace Center.

(Online) President Kennedy’s Civil Rights Legacy: African American Perceptions
Tuesday, November 21, at 6 p.m. ET
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Register online
Sharron Wilkins Conrad, professor of history at Tarrant County College and Senior Fellow at Southern Methodist University’s Center for Presidential History, explores African American perceptions of President John F. Kennedy’s legacy on civil rights in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the final year of the administration in this virtual program. Kellie Carter Jackson, professor of African Studies at Wellesley College, moderates.

(In person and online) Spheres of Influence: Two Hundred Years of the Monroe Doctrine
Tuesday, November 28, at 6 p.m. ET
Register online
To mark the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, a panel of scholars will discuss the history, as well as the current use, of the best-known U.S. policy toward the Western Hemisphere. Sara Bon-Harper, Executive Director, James Monroe’s Highland, and Scott H. Harris, Executive Director, University of Mary Washington Museums, will lead the discussion of the three main elements of the Monroe Doctrine: non-colonization, non-intervention, and separate spheres of influence for the Americas and Europe. The Archivist of the United States, Dr. Colleen Shogan, will introduce the program. This program is presented in partnership with James Monroe Museum and James Monroe’s Highland.

(Online) Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy
Tuesday, November 28, at 6 p.m. ET
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Register online
Carl Sferrazza Anthony, historian and author, discusses his new book, Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy, a new biography exploring Mrs. Kennedy’s early adulthood. Eileen McNamara, Pulitzer Prize–winning former Boston Globe columnist and Brandeis professor emerita of the practice of journalism, moderates.

(In person) A Conversation with Charlie Baker
Thursday, November 30, at 6 p.m. ET
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Register to attend in person
Charlie Baker, NCAA president, former governor of Massachusetts, and co-author of Results: Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done, discusses key leadership issues. Barbara Kellerman, fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, moderates.