“Current Challenges and New Directions in Federal History”

MARCH 2007

The Society for History in the Federal Government (www.shfg.org) invites the submission of proposals for papers and other types of presentations at its annual conference, which will be held in March 2007 (exact date and location to be announced). Proposals for complete sessions and individual papers are welcome from historians, archivists, curators, librarians, and others engaged in the study of federal history in its broadest context.

The conference theme includes an examination of the research and activities currently underway in federal government history programs. It will also showcase innovative ideas for making federal history meaningful to the general public as well as to government agencies. Proposals connecting federal history to current historiographical debates are also welcome.

Topics for proposed sessions include the role of the federal government in medical history, museum activities and displays, the African-American experience, the Native American experience, national security, the current crisis in Iraq, the Washington DC flood of 2006, declassification and “reclassification” of federal records, history “outreach” programs, and history on the worldwide web. Submissions on other topics will also be considered.

Graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals for presentations. Additionally, a roundtable discussion on how to get a job as a federal historian is planned. The conference will conclude with the annual meeting of the Society, which all members are welcome to attend.

Session or individual paper proposals should be sent to shfgannualconference@yahoo.com. The deadline for submissions is 15 December 2006. Any specific questions can be directed to the conference’s executive director, Bill Williams, at billwms50@gmail.com, or by telephone at 301-688-2336.