National Historical Publications and Records Commission
n. (abbr. NHPRC)a statutory body within the National Archives and Records Administration that grants funds to nonfederal institutions in support of the preservation, use, and publication of documentary sources pertinent to United States historyRhoads 1976, 7As you know, last December President Ford signed into law an amendment to the legislation governing the National Historical Publications Commission. Its membership was enlarged to include two members each from the Society of American Archivists and the American Association for State and Local History. The authorization level for appropriations was increased from $2 million to $4 million annually, so that it could make grants for the preservation, description, and greater accessibility of historical records of state and local governments, and manuscripts in nongovernmental institutional custody. (I should mention here that although as yet no additional funds have actually been appropriated, the commission has voted to set aside a small part of its appropriations from fiscal years 1975 and 1976 to get the program underway.) Finally, the name was changed to the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, reflecting its new responsibilities.Hackman, Sahli, and Burton 1977, 201The purpose of this article is to outline the role of the NHPRC in developing a system for identifying historical records and manuscripts and the institutions in which they are located, and for making that information available to those who need it.Hackman 1980, 25Many NHPRC grants are made to projects that identify records not yet in repositories, carry out pilot projects demonstrating the value of and procedures and requirements for a continuing program, prepare schedules for recurring types of records, or prepare manuals to improve future program performance.U.S. Code, 44 U.S.C. § 2501 (1988)(a) The National Historical Publications and Records Commission shall consist of 15 members as follows: ¶ (1) the following ex officio members: ¶ (A) the Archivist of the United States, who shall be chairman; ¶ (B) the Librarian of Congress (or an alternate designated by the Librarian); ¶ (C) one Senator, appointed by the President of the Senate; ¶ (D) one Representative, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; ¶ (E) one member of the judicial branch of the Government, appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States; ¶ (F) one representative of the Department of State to be appointed by the Secretary of State; and ¶ (G) one representative of the Department of Defense to be appointed by the Secretary of Defense; ¶ (2) one member from each of the following organizations, appointed by the governing council or board of the respective organization: ¶ (A) the American Historical Association; ¶ (B) the Organization of American Historians; ¶ (C) the Society of American Archivists; ¶ (D) the American Association for State and Local History; ¶ (E) the Association for Documentary Editing; and ¶ (F) the National Association for Government Archives and Records Administrators; and ¶ (3) two other members, outstanding in the fields of the social or physical sciences, the arts, or archival or library science, appointed by the President of the United States.NHPRC 1997The Archivist of the United States chairs the Commission and makes grants on its recommendation. The other fourteen members of the Commission represent the President (two appointees), the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the Federal judiciary, the Departments of State and Defense, the Librarian of Congress, and six national, professional associations of archivists and historians.Newhall 2000, 67–68More specifically, the NHPRC is the grant-making affiliate of the National Archives and Records Administration, created by Congress at the same time as the National Archives. The NHPRC’s statutory mission is to ensure understanding of our nation’s past by promoting, nationwide, the identification, preservation, and dissemination of essential historical documentation. The Commission is chaired by the Archivist of the United States, and its offices are located in the National Archives in Washington, D.C., but its mandate is to look outward, to provide assistance to non-federal agencies, institutions and individuals committed to the preservation and use of America’s documentary resources.NHPRC 2009Through a modest, but catalytic, investment in our nation’s archives and historical records, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) preserves and makes public the American Record.Slate and Minchew 2016, 11Another program that impacted local government archives came in the form of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives. Created in 1934 to fund the editing and publication of historical editions of the papers of prominent Americans, Congress expanded its mission over time to include funding for archival program planning and actual archival work.NHPRC 2017The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), supports a wide range of activities to preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources, created in every medium ranging from quill pen to computer, relating to the history of the United States.
Notes
Congress established this body in 1934 as the National Historical Publications Commission (NHPC). In December 1974, President Gerald Ford signed amended legislation changing the name to what it is today and expanding its grant offerings. Chaired by the Archivist of the United States, the NHPRC comprises fifteen people representing the three branches of the federal government as well as members of professional associations of archivists, historians, documentary editors, and records administrators.
