Obama nominates Simmons Alum to Top US Archivist post

David Ferriero is the current Director of the New York Public Library.

President Obama has sent the Senate his nomination of Simmons College Alumnus David S. Ferriero to become the next U.S. Archivist of the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration).

The NARA is a government agency responsible for maintaining the official documents of various branches of the US government, such as acts of congress and executive orders. It was created in 1934 by President Roosevelt to straighten out of the government’s sprawling  documentation system, which originally tasked each branch of government with maintaining their own records.

The U.S. Archivist is responsible for the oversight of the NARA, safeguarding documents like the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence, as well as amendments to the Constitution. If approved by the Senate, Ferriero will become the tenth Archivist since the NARA’s inception,  replacing Allen Weinstein, who resigned last December due to health problems.

Ferriero grew up in Beverly, Massachusetts and graduated from the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science in 1974.  He is currently the Director of the New York Public Libraries, one of the largest public library systems in the United States, and has also served the libraries of Duke University and MIT.  His career began at MIT, starting in 1965 as a junior assistant and leaving 31 years later as the acting co-director.

New York Public Library Board of Trustees Chair Catherine Marron applauded Ferriero’s nomination, stating that “the entire country will benefit from his experience and wisdom.”