Many long-time genealogists will recognize the name Robert Warner. He died Tuesday in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the age of 79.
President Jimmy Carter appointed Warner to be the Sixth Archivist of the United States in 1980, a position he held for the next 22 years. Warner is perhaps best known for presiding over the release of Oval Office recordings.
Initially, the National Archives was seen as little more than a warehouse for storing federal records. Through a persistent behind-the-scenes campaign waged through historical and genealogical associations, Dr. Warner sprung the Archives free. President Ronald Reagan signed legislation that created the National Archives and Records Administration just as the agency celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Robert Warner passed away on April 24 at the age of 79. You can read more about this friend of genealogists at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/27/AR2007042702219.html.
