National Coalition for History

American Historical Association Executive Director James Grossman recently testified before the House Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. Speaking on behalf of the AHA and the National Humanities Alliance, Grossman urged the subcommittee to provide no less than $154.3 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for fiscal year 2013. This represents a small increase over the 2012 appropriation, and was the same amount requested by the Obama administration. Read the full article »

The National Park Service (NPS) has “imperiled” its own work in history with insufficient support to its history workforce, isolation of this workforce from the rest of the agency, underfunding, “narrow and static conceptions of history’s scope,” and “timid interpretation,” according to a report undertaken at the invitation of the National Park Service and published by the Organization of American Historians. The report urged the NPS, among other things, to “recommit to history.” Read the full article »

Core elements of the U.S. Navy’s historical program are “at risk” according to a recently declassified report by the U.S. Navy’s Inspector General’s Office. The IG’s report on the inspection of the Navy’s History and Heritage Command dramatically reinforces concerns that scholars have had in recent years about the state of the navy’s history program. Read the full article »

Wendell E. Berry, noted poet, essayist, novelist, farmer, and conservationist, recently delivered the 2012 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Read the full article »

On April 2, 2012, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released the 1940 U.S. Census online. This marked the first time the agency has released an official decennial census online. The free official website is available at: http://1940census.archives.gov/ Read the full article »

The papers of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Byron R. White have been opened to research through the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. At the time of his deed of gift, White specified that the papers were to be opened without restriction 10 years after his death. White died on April 15, 2002, at the age of 84. Read the full article »

Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero recently announced the National Archives Legislative Archives Fellowship for 2012. Last year Mr. Ferriero created the Fellowship to support scholarly work in United States history, based on research in the records of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The Foundation for the National Archives has provided a total stipend of $10,000 for the Fellowship. Read the full article »

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently announced $17 million in grants and offers for 208 humanities projects. Read the full article »

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recently announced its annual institutes for educators in the summer of 2012. Primarily Teaching: Original Documents and Classroom Strategies will be held at seven of the agency’s locations. Read the full article »

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is seeking proposals for a cooperative agreement to develop and administer a national or regional (multistate) project to advance the role of the humanities at community colleges through curriculum and faculty development focused on the theme of Bridging Cultures. The deadline for submitting proposals is August 14, 2012, for projects beginning February 2013. Read the full article »