When Robert Peary wrote "The pole at last!!!" into his diary on April 6, 1909, he had no idea that his claim would be disputed for the next several decades by experts who doubted that he and Matthew A. Henson were the first men to reach the North Pole. Marie Peary Stafford had no such doubts, … Continue reading “The pole at last!”
A search for "Rosenberg" in the Open Public Access system of the National Archives brings up a strange and poignant collection of documents: a passport picture of a family with the mother clutching a tiny infant, childlike sketches of shapes, a smiling couple, and an empty Jell-O box. In September 1949, the White House announced the … Continue reading Fat Man, Little Boy, A Packet of Jell-O
President Woodrow Wilson’s campaign slogan throughout his 1916 reelection campaign was "he kept us out of war," but on April 2, 1917, Wilson reversed course and called on Congress to provide a declaration of war for American intervention in World War I. Although this shift in policy contradicted Wilson’s isolationist principles and firm commitment to … Continue reading The “Wilsonian” Path to War
Today marks 100 years since the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire—a blaze that lasted 18 minutes and left 146 workers dead. Among the many in New York City who witnessed the tragedy was Frances Perkins, who would later become FDR's Secretary of Labor, making her the first woman to serve in a Presidential cabinet. As Secretary … Continue reading A Factory Fire and Frances Perkins
Victory tastes as sweet as Guinness to Laura B, whose caption referencing both the Irish holiday and the lingo of LOL cats won her 15% off at our eStore. Slainte to you, Laura B! And for once, the caption to our mystery photo shows things are just as they seem: "A patron of Sammy's Bowery Follies, a downtown … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest
If Grover Cleveland were alive today, he would need to blow out 174 candles. And of course, he would need to be careful not to set his mustache alight as he bent toward the mighty blaze of his birthday cake. Grover Cleveland's election marked a turning point in Presidential facial hair. The beard was going … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Happy Birthday, Grover Cleveland!
Congratulations to Dave M! Our guest judge Lynn Bassanese of the Roosevelt Presidential Library chose your caption, as FDR "was a real Navy man and enjoyed an occasional cocktail so we think he would approve of our choice." It's unlikely President Roosevelt would have enjoyed the wartime cocktail being ladled out, though. The original caption … Continue reading Thursday’s Caption Contest
Today's post about women is from guest blogger Donne Kampel, who will be speaking at our Fourth Annual Forum on Women in Leadership. Kampel recently published Learning Leadership: Women Presidents of Colleges and Universities. Enjoy! *************** My book’s first life was as a dissertation. Women and leadership was my primary research interest but a focus for the … Continue reading View from the top: Women in academic leadership 2011
Because this contest's photograph came from John F. Kennedy Library, we asked their curator, Stacey Bredhoff, to be our guest judge. So Joyce, say "thank you" to Stacey for picking your caption as the winner. We can't arrange a meeting with Johnny Depp, but we can send you a 15% discount to the National Archives eStore. … Continue reading Thursday Caption Contest
The USS Monitor was the Navy's first ironclad vessel, but it was not the only one in Civil War waters. The Virginia had started life in 1855 as the Merrimack, a Union ship that had been burned to the waterline, sunk, and abandoned in the Gosport Navy Yard in Norfolk, VA. The Confederates raised what … Continue reading A Submerged House: Ironclads and the Civil War
