National Archives Public Programs in March

WASHINGTON, DC

In March, the National Archives will present free public programs at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, locations nationwide, and online. Programs this month include a variety of Women’s History Month activities, book talks, Easter egg hunts, and even a one-day youth camp focusing on upcycling.

(In person) In the Nation’s Service: The Life and Times of George P. Schultz
Saturday, March 7, at 12:15 p.m. CT
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin, TX
Register to attend virtually
The LBJ Presidential Library, Clements Center for National Security, LBJ School of Public Affairs, and the UT-Austin History Department will host Philip Taubman, Lecturer at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, for a talk on his book In the Nation’s Service: The Life and Times of George P. Shultz.

Before joining CISAC in 2008, Taubman worked at the New York Times as a reporter and editor for nearly 30 years, specializing in national security issues, including United States diplomacy, and intelligence and defense policy and operations.

(In person) Dayton Literary Peace Prize Lecture: Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa, Author of His Name Is George Floyd
Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Registration not required
In our first annual Dayton Literary Peace Prize Lecture, the Carter Library hosts Pulitzer Prize– winning authors Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa. Placing George Floyd’s narrative within the larger context of America’s deeply troubled history of institutional racism, His Name Is George Floyd examines the Floyd family’s roots in slavery and sharecropping, the segregation of his Houston schools, the over-policing of his communities, the devastating snares of the prison system, and his attempts to break free from drug dependence—putting today's inequality into uniquely human terms. 

(In person) Sunday Concert Series at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Sundays, March 10, 17, 24, and 31, at 2 p.m. PT 
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, CA
Register to attend in person
March 10: Eric Marchese and Friends - Ragtime Piano
March 17: Esther Bach - Cello and Robert Zappulla - Harpsichord
March 24: Jihuyn Lee and Yeaseul Kim - Piano Duo Concert
March 31: Rixiang Huang - Pianist Solo Concert

(In person) The Story of Feed Sacks
Tuesday, March 12, at 2 p.m. CT
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, West Branch, IA
Registration not required
Join us for a special discussion encompassing all kinds of feed sack reuse after World War I with Linzee McCray, author of Feed Sacks: The Colorful History of a Frugal Fabric. The program will highlight and showcase the exhibit Thrift Style, on display in our temporary galleries until April 30. 

(In person) Second Tuesdays Book Talk with Dr. Benjamin T. Jenkins, Author of Octopus's Garden: How Railroads and Citrus Transformed Southern California
Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. PT 
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, CA
Register to attend in person 
This book focuses on the relationship between citrus agriculture and railroad transportation in southern California.

(In person) Cassandra Leah Quave, Nature’s Pharmacy with Emory University Herbarium
Tuesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Registration not required
Cassandra Quave returns for a new Atlanta Science Fair botany-themed event on tea-making and its health benefits. There will be tea-making stations and a discussion on herbs as medicine.

(In person) Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote
Wednesday, March 13, at 11 a.m. ET
National Archives at New York City Learning Center, New York, NY
Registration not required
How can people influence the government? Using the founding documents of the United States and historical records of the National Archives, visitors will determine how and why women fought for the right to vote. Explore the challenges suffragists faced, and discover why the fight for women’s voting rights and equality has persisted even after the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Appropriate for students of civics and history of all ages!

(In Person) The Pursuit of Happiness
Wednesday, March 13, at 6 p.m. ET 
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Register to attend in person
Jeffrey Rosen, CEO and President of the National Constitution Center, discusses his forthcoming book The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America, which explores what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s Founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and became the foundation of our democracy. Mary Sarah Bilder, Boston College professor of law, moderates.

(In person) Thrift Style Book Artist Spring Break Camp
Thursday, March 14, at 10 a.m. CT
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, West Branch, IA
Register to attend in person
This one-day youth camp invites visitors to discover the difference between recycling and upcycling! Explore the fascinating world of thrift style with this special camp. In addition to seeing our current Thrift Style exhibit, you will create your own fashion and room decor items to take home! There is a $20 per child fee for this event to cover the cost of materials.

(In Person & Virtual) National Archives to Host Sunshine Week Panel on Artificial Intelligence and Government Access
Thursday, March 14, at 1 p.m. ET
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Building, Washington, DC
Registration is not required
Attend in person or watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will host a panel discussion on “Artificial Intelligence: The Intersection of Public Access and Open Government.'' This program is being offered during Sunshine Week, an annual nationwide celebration of access to public information.

Pamela Wright, NARA’s Chief Innovation Officer, will moderate a panel of open government and transparency experts who will discuss artificial intelligence and how it intersects with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and access to information. Panelists include Gulam Shakir, NARA’s Chief Data Officer; Abigail Potter, Senior Innovation Specialist at the Library of Congress Digital Innovation Lab; Eric Stein, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Global Information Services at the U.S. Department of State; and Bobak Talebian, Director of the Office of Information Policy of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Immediately following the program, the National Archives will make available for viewing documents related to the Freedom of Information Act. More about past Sunshine Week at the National Archives programs is available here.

(In person) The Korean War Remembered
Thursday, March 14, at 6 p.m. CT
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Independence, MO
Registration not required
Michael Devine served as the director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library from 2001 until his retirement in 2014. Since his retirement, Devine has joined the University of Wyoming faculty as an adjunct professor of history, spent the summer of 2017 as a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC, held a Senior Fulbright Lectureship at Sogang Jesuit University in Korea, and traveled widely in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. He has written several articles for professional journals and published The Korean War Remembered: Contested Memories of an Unfinished Conflict.

(In person & Virtual) Merze Tate: The Global Odyssey of a Black Woman Scholar with Barbara Savage
Thursday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. CT 
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
Register to attend in person or Zoom
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum host University of Pennsylvania professor Barbara Savage to discuss her new biography, Merze Tate: The Global Odyssey of a Black Woman Scholar, which tells the astonishing story of a woman who, despite living in what she called a “sex and race discriminating world,” never allowed her intellectual ambitions to be thwarted.

(In person) Ruby Lal, Author of Vagabond Princess
Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Registration not required
In this first English biography of Gulbadan, acclaimed Mughal historian and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist Ruby Lal brings to limelight the adventurous career of the sole woman historian of the Mughal empire. With adept use of Mughal court documents, miniature paintings, architectural sites, ships and maritime principles, and the political cultures of Ottoman Turkey, Mughal India, and western Arabia, Lal animates the hitherto untold story behind Gulbadan’s Arabian adventures.

(In person) Ask an Archivist, Converse with a Curator
Friday, March 15, at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. CT
William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, Little Rock, AR
Register to attend in person
Each St. Patrick's Day, the Prime Minister of Ireland presents the President with a vessel filled with shamrocks. Join us at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. on Friday, March 15,th to learn about the “Shamrock Ceremony.” We'll discuss the history of the tradition from Truman to today and highlight how President Clinton used the annual event to promote peace in North Ireland. Guests will have the opportunity to view a couple of the Waterford crystal bowls used during the Clinton administration. Ask an Archivist, Converse with a Curator is free with museum admission.

(In person & Virtual) Celebrating Women’s Impact
Friday, March 15, at 8:30 a.m. PT 
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, CA
Register to attend in person 
The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum and the Richard Nixon Foundation will host Celebrating Women’s Impact, a symposium of historians, authors, and Nixon administration officials. This unique gathering will explore post-war 20th-century advancements in the role of women in government. The day will include four panels covering the following subjects: “Telling Women’s History through Historical Records,” “Nixon Administration Programs, Initiatives, and Legislation, “Recruiting and Appointing Women in Presidential Administrations,” and “The Impact of Pat Nixon, and other First Ladies and First Families.” This event is free and open to the public and will be held in the East Room, but space will be limited. The symposium can also be viewed live on YouTube at youtube.com/nixonfoundation.

(Virtual) Bringing Home the White House: The Hidden History of the Women Who Shaped the Presidency in the 20th Century by Melissa Estes Blair
Monday, March 18, at 6 p.m. CT
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Independence, MO
Email to attend virtually
This Women's History Month virtual event is a book talk on Bringing Home the White House: The Hidden History of the Women Who Shaped the Presidency in the 20th Century, by Melissa Estes Blair. The book focuses on the period from 1932–1960, and much of the research was conducted at the Truman Library in 2018.

(In person) Elizabeth Varon, Author of Longstreet, The Confederate General Who Defied the South
Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Registration not required
Elizabeth Varon has created an authoritative biography of the controversial Confederate general who was alongside Lee at Gettysburg, won a major Confederate victory at Chickamauga, and later embraced Reconstruction and became an outcast in the South.

(Virtual) The National Archives Comes Alive: Young Learners Program: Meet Eleanor Roosevelt
Thursday, March 21, at 11 a.m. ET
Watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
Eleanor Roosevelt was a humanitarian, civil rights advocate, and the longest serving First Lady of the United States. Eleanor also made history as a co-creator and delegate to the United Nations. Come learn about the work and influence of Eleanor Roosevelt and how she served as a role model for all Americans. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is portrayed by Rene Goodwin of the American Historical Theatre.

(In person) Inundation District
Thursday, March 21, at 6 p.m. ET 
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Register to attend in person
Join the Kennedy Library for a screening of Inundation District, a new film exploring the implications of Boston’s decision to build the Seaport District along its coast at sea level, followed by a panel discussion about the threats of climate change with Joe Christo, Managing Director of the Stone Living Lab, and Sanjay Seth, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for Climate and Equity in EPA Region 1, moderated by filmmaker and Boston Globe reporter David Abel.
The post-film conversation will be available for both in-person and virtual attendees, and will begin streaming at approximately 7:20 p.m.

(In person) Dana Fisher, Author of Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action
Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Registration not required
Saving Ourselves focuses on how people power is our most likely way through the climate crisis and concludes with advice (based on years of research in the trenches) about how we can take back power and save ourselves.

(In person & Virtual) American Coal: Russell Lee Portraits
Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. ET
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Building, Washington, DC
Register to attend in person; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
Authors Mary Jane Appel and Douglas Brinkley will discuss how in 1946 the Truman administration made a promise to striking coal miners: as part of a deal to resume work, the government would sponsor a nationwide survey of health and labor conditions in mining camps. One instrumental member of the survey team was photographer Russell Lee. Lee had made his name during the Depression, when, alongside Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, he used his camera to document agrarian life for the Farm Security Administration. Now he trained his lens on miners and their families to show their difficult circumstances despite their essential contributions to the nation's first wave of postwar growth. American Coal draws from the thousands of photographs that Lee made for the survey. A book signing will follow the program.

(In person) Annual Easter Celebration
Saturday, March 23, at 9:30 a.m. CT
George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, TX
Register to attend in person
The Annual Easter Celebration, one of the most anticipated events of spring, will be held at the George H.W. Presidential Library and Museum on Saturday, March 23, from 9:30 a.m. until noon. Activities at the free event will be available for children aged 9 and under, and will include an Easter egg hunt, carnival games, face painting, door prizes, balloon animals, complimentary refreshments and photos with the Easter Bunny.

The Annual Easter Celebration, modeled after the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, has been hosted by the Bush Library and Museum in partnership with the College Station Police Department since 1999, but the event has a long tradition in College Station. The police department has been putting on this event since its humble beginnings in 1982. 

(In person & Virtual) Film Screening of King Coal in Participation with the 2024 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital
Saturday, March 23, at 2 p.m. ET
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Building, Washington, DC
Register to attend in person
Join us for the screening of the 2023 documentary film about the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. The film will be introduced by filmmaker Elaine Sheldon. The exhibit Power & Light: Russell Lee’s Coal Survey and programs presented in conjunction with it  are made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Mars Family & Mars, Incorporated and Anonymous.

(Virtual) Above and Beyond: A Tribute to the Medal of Honor Recipients of WWII
Monday, March 25, at 1 p.m. CT
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Independence, MO
Email to attend in person
The Harry S. Truman Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, will present a tribute to the Medal of Honor recipients of World War II.” The ceremony will take place in the Courtyard and include a three-musket salute.

(In person) The East Wing: Expanding First Ladies’ Impact
Monday, March 25, at 6 p.m. ET 
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Register to attend in person
Anita McBride, Director of the First Ladies Initiative at the American University School of Public Affairs and co-author of Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History-Making Women; Barbara Perry, professor and co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia's Miller Center and author of Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier; and Elizabeth Rees, doctoral candidate at Oxford University, discuss the evolution of the role of the First Lady from the Kennedy administration through the present day.

(In person) Duty Calls: An Unexpected Life of Service with Dr. Antonia Novello, 14th Surgeon General of the United States
Wednesday, March 27, book signing at 5:30 p.m., program at 6:30 p.m. CT
George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, TX
Register to attend in person
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed Dr. Antonia Novello as the 14th Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service—the first woman and the first Hispanic ever to hold this position. She will discuss her relationship with President Bush, her career, and her mission to improve health and wellness around the world. In her new autobiography, Duty Calls: An Unexpected Life of Service, she tells about how her medical struggles as a child in rural Puerto Rico fueled her passion for public health. In a distinguished career spanning four decades, including serving as the Commissioner of Health for the State of New York during 9/11, her enduring commitment to service has left an indelible mark on the world of public health. Duty Calls: An Unexpected Life of Service is a testament to the enduring power of public service. 

(In person & Virtual) David Pilgrim of the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University
Thursday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. CT 
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
Register to attend in person or Zoom
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum and the Barack Obama Presidential Library host David Pilgrim from the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University. Pilgrim, one of our nation's leading experts on diversity, equity, and race relations, will discuss the museum's origins, mission, and work.

(In person) Thursday Night Lights, with Author Michael Hurd
Thursday, March 28, at 10:30 a.m. CT
George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, TX
Register to attend in person
Michael Hurd, renowned author of Thursday Night Lights, delves into the rich history of black high school football in Texas before segregation. Hurd will share captivating stories of legendary players such as Austin's LC Anderson great, Dick "Night Train" Lane, and the formidable Charles "Bubba" Smith and his Brothers from Carlton-Pollard in Beaumont. Gain insight into historic annual classics like the Turkey Day Classic, showcasing the fierce rivalry between Wheatley and Yates High School. Don't miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the untold tales of triumph and camaraderie that shaped the legacy of Texas high school football.

(In person) Ask an Archivist, Converse with a Curator
Friday, March 29, at 11 a.m. CT
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, West Branch, IA
Registration not required
This free monthly program allows visitors to see items from our collection that aren't typically shown in our galleries. Speak with archivists and museum staff in an informal setting about a specific topic each month. In recognition of Lou Henry Hoover's 150th birthday, Museum Registrar Sara Godin will share some of Lou's clothing and Girl Scout–related ephemera to celebrate.

(In person) Harry’s Hop ’n Hunt
Saturday, March 30, at 10 a.m. CT
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Independence, MO
Email to attend in person
Harry’s Hop ’n Hunt on the east and south lawns of the Truman Library will include a White House–style Easter Egg Roll, petting zoo, and family-friendly events.

(In person) Lou Henry Hoover: Pioneer, Humanitarian, Leader
Tuesday, March 30, at 2 p.m. CT
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, West Branch, IA
Registration not required
This program about Lou Henry Hoover will feature talks by Julie Sweetkind-Sager, Stanford University, on Lou and Geology; Ann Robertson, Girl Scout historian, on Lou and the Girl Scouts; and Edward Maeder, costume historian, on Lou and fashion based on the collections at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.

(In person) 9th Annual Easter Egg Roll
Saturday, March 30, at 10:30 a.m. CT
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin, TX
Register to attend virtually
The Easter Egg Roll is inspired by the White House Easter Egg Roll, an annual family event to hunt for and race Easter Eggs on the White House South Lawn. The holiday tradition has a long history dating back to 1878, when President Rutherford B. Hayes officially opened the White House grounds to local children for egg rolling on Easter Monday. Successive Presidents have continued the tradition of inviting children to the White House Lawn for egg rolling and other activities and entertainment.

The LBJ Future Forum is excited to host the Partnerships for Children (PFC) community for this special event. Future Forum will be collecting diapers (all sizes), baby formula (Similac Advanced), bottles, pacifiers, sippy cups, and other needs for the Rainbow Room, a 24/7 resource center in the Child Protective Services office. We encourage attendees to bring an item for the Rainbow Room. Please note the number of adults and children in your party in the registration. Volunteers are also welcomed. 

Before joining CISAC in 2008, Taubman worked at the New York Times as a reporter and editor for nearly 30 years, specializing in national security issues, including United States diplomacy, and intelligence and defense policy and operations.

(In person) Dana Fisher, Author of Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action
Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. ET
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, GA
Registration not required
Author Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action—but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. She assesses the current state of affairs and shows why public policy and private-sector efforts have been ineffective.