National Archives’ New Head Pledges ‘Expanded Mission’
Professional archivist Don W. Wilson took over as head of the National Archives on Friday and pledged “a broader office and an expanded mission” for the agency that keeps historical records and runs presidential libraries.
Wilson, who has held key posts at the Dwight D. Eisenhower and Gerald R. Ford presidential libraries, took his oath of office in a ceremony in front of the display cases holding the Constitution and Declaration of Independence in the rotunda of the Archives building.
President Reagan congratulated Wilson, who becomes the first archivist since the agency was made independent from the General Services Administration by a bill the President signed in 1984.
Wilson, 44, has been director of the Ford Library in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, Mich., since 1982. He also is former deputy director of the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kan.
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