The Record Keeper

T美国国家档案和记录管理局(National Archives and Records Administration)可能会让人想起一个长, dusty hallways filled with filing cabinets, 但是，存储和分类与国家历史记录相关的文件和通信的过程包含的内容远不止于此. 毕竟，最后被送到国家档案馆的不只是总统的文件. Among the records the agency, known as NARA, stores and maintains are the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, 再加上更多的日常文件，比如退伍军人的服役记录, immigration paperwork, maps, videos, and tweets. 也有证据证明这个国家更痛苦的历史, 比如奴隶船舱单和与美洲土著部落撕毁的条约. And now, all of that falls under the purview of Colleen Shogan ’97, who was confirmed as archivist of the United States last May, 在联邦记录保存的重要性从未如此突出的时期.

Shogan, who majored in political science at BC, was first nominated to be archivist in August of 2022, 但由于国会的政治争论，直到9个月后才得到确认. 她是第11位担任该职位的人，也是第一位被确认担任该职位的女性. (Several women have previously served as acting archivist.)

Shogan said she is excited to show up to work each day. “This is definitely the place I’m supposed to be,” she said. 她对美国历史的兴趣可以追溯到她在宾夕法尼亚州的童年时代, 当她的家人去葛底斯堡等历史景点度假时. Shogan说:“这给我带来了一种从书中无法获得的鲜活的历史。. After graduating from Boston College, 肖根在耶鲁大学获得美国政治学博士学位, 之后担任康涅狄格州参议员乔·利伯曼的立法助理，之后在国会电子游戏正规平台处工作了7年. 当时她正在白宫历史协会担任高级副会长，当时她接到了拜登政府有意让她担任档案保管员的电话.

Mark Falzone ’97, 从他们在英国广播公司的时候就和肖根成为朋友，并在参议员爱德华·肯尼迪的一次连任竞选中与她一起工作, 那时候就被她能和别人相处的方式打动了吗. “She really cared about the philosophy of what she was doing, but also the practical consequences,” Falzone said. “And politics has both of those things.”

NARA is generally considered to be apolitical, 但最近它被党派偏见的指控搅得一团糟. After all, 正是该机构努力找回前总统唐纳德·特朗普离任后带走的文件，才导致他最终被指控在佛罗里达州海湖庄园非法保留政府文件的37项指控. 共和党人对此案中政治动机的怀疑，无疑是导致肖根任命被推迟确认的原因之一, 尽管她在找回文件的过程中没有任何作用, which began prior to her nomination for the post.