Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 11, 2004

Contact: Angie Joe
713.743.8153 (office)
713.617.7138 (pager)
ajoe@uh.edu

Walter B. Hill, a senior archivist and subject area specialist for African-American history for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), will discuss archival collections that are under-utilized in the majority of African-American history documentations.

Hill’s presentation is part of the “Are the Answers in the Archives?” series sponsored by the University of Houston history department and takes place 5 p.m., Nov. 16, in Agnes Arnold Hall Room 628.

Great history writing usually evolves through primary original documents including letters and journals that help provide a better understanding of the “stuff” from which history is created and relayed. Such ‘jewels,’ or outstanding archival collections, could be used to write new illuminating histories such as stories on particular events or biographies for publication, said Gerald Horne, the African-American Studies Chair in History.

“I will discuss African-American historical research in federal records and a variety of topics,” said Hill. “Part of my job at NARA is to inform and educate the research public of these federal records for doing African-American historical research.”

A question and answer session will follow the lecture. Faculty, graduate students and anyone interested in the history writing process are encouraged to attend the lecture. The event is free and open to the public.

Hill is NARA’s top specialist in the field of African-American Studies and focuses on African-American life, history and culture. He has published numerous articles in the area of history on federal records, including “Exploring the Life and History of the ‘Buffalo Soldiers.’” He has been an adjunct professor of Afro-American Studies at Howard University since 1984 and directed the Modern Archives Institute for six years.

Allen Fisher, a leading archivist of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, which is part of system of presidential libraries administered by NARA, will conclude the series Nov. 30. Fisher specializes in domestic policy collections and is the co-author of the article “LBJ Champions the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Part 2.”

For more information, call (713) 743-3083 or email ghorne@uh.edu.

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