Former U.S. Archivist David S. Ferriero reflects on national memory, public service, and leadership
Event Description:
On April 10th, the University of Maryland hosted a special guest, former Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. Mr. Ferriero was nominated to the position by President Obama, and after U.S. Senate confirmation served as the 10th Archivist of the United States from 2009 to 2022. During his time in office, Mr. Ferriero took a leading role in overseeing the federal government’s transition to electronic recordkeeping, as well as in spearheading the opening of three presidential libraries. He founded the Citizen Archivist program, involving people from around the world transcribing and tagging records—an initiative that became a model for other institutions to follow. He also led the agency through the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing an unprecedented move to remote work.
During the talk, Mr. Ferriero offered his unique perspective on current events in the news, on preserving America’s national memory in digital form, and on navigating the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in a sometimes turbulent political climate during his tenure. This candid talk represented a special opportunity for faculty and students in departments across the College Park campus to hear from one of the longest serving Archivists of the United States. Mr. Ferriero was joined in conversation with Jason R. Baron, Professor of the Practice at the College of Information, and former director of litigation at NARA.
About David S. Ferriero:
David S. Ferriero was sworn in as the 10th Archivist of the United States on November 13, 2009, and served in the position until April 30, 2022. He was the first librarian to serve as Archivist of the United States. Mr. Ferriero’s distinguished career included serving as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries (NYPL). Before joining the NYPL, Mr. Ferriero served in top positions at two of the nation’s major academic libraries on the campuses of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Duke University. Mr. Ferriero earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature from Northeastern University, and holds a master’s degree in library and information science from Simmons College. Mr. Ferriero served as a Navy hospital corpsman during the Vietnam War.
Check out the recording here.