[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 3, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E193-E194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THREE DEPARTING MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL 
                  PUBLICATIONS AND RECORDS COMMISSION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 2009

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the National 
Historical Publications and Records Commission, I would like to 
commemorate the departure of three notable members from Commission, 
with which I have had the honor of serving. These three individuals 
have helped promote the preservation and use of America's documentary 
heritage, helping those in our country and from abroad understand 
American democracy, history, and culture.
  Margaret Grafeld of the Department of State of the United States 
joined the National Historical Publications and Records Commission in 
June 1998 and has served with distinction for the past decade. 
Currently Director of the Office of Information Programs and Services, 
Ms. Grafeld has been with the Department since 1974, shortly after her 
graduation from

[[Page E194]]

George Washington University, and is a graduate of the Advanced 
Management Program, Information Resources Management College, National 
Defense University.
  In previous assignments, Ms. Grafeld served as acting director of the 
Office of Freedom of Information, Privacy, and Classification Review, 
and in other positions relating to information management and policy, 
privacy, access, litigation, appeals, and special projects. She was 
also involved with the State Department's Advisory Committee on 
Historical Diplomatic Documentation.
  Her role on the Commission has been distinguished by her careful 
reading and consideration of the applicants, her sense of public duty, 
and her expertise on records management, particularly in the area of 
electronic records and public access. She has been the consummate 
public servant, always prepared to scrutinize and adjudicate 
applications, and render forthright and honest advice on public policy.
  The Commission thanks Peggy Grafeld for her dedicated service and 
contributions to its programs with our sincere respect and affection.
  Barbara Fields of Columbia University joined the National Historical 
Publications and Records Commission in 2001 and has served as 
representative of the Organization of American Historians with 
distinction. During her tenure on the Commission, Dr. Fields has cast a 
keen eye on the historical importance of the documents and records of 
our applicants.
  A graduate of Harvard University and Yale University, Dr. Fields has 
brought a remarkable breadth of knowledge to the Commission. A 
MacArthur Fellow from 1992 to 1997, she is one of the leading scholars 
on the history of slavery in the United States. She made a notable 
appearance on Ken Burn's documentary series, ``The Civil War,'' and her 
publications include Slavery and Freedom on the Middle Ground: Maryland 
during the Nineteenth Century, which won the John H. Dunning Prize of 
the American Historical Association; and she co-authored with members 
of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project, The Destruction of 
Slavery, which won the Thomas Jefferson Prize of the Society for the 
History of the Federal Government; Slaves No More: Three Essays on the 
Emancipation and the Civil War, and Free At Last: A Documentary History 
of Slavery, Emancipation, and the Civil War.
  Her role on the Commission has been distinguished by her discerning 
intellectual curiosity. The Commission thanks Barbara Fields for her 
dedicated service and contributions to its programs with our sincere 
respect and affection.
  Charles T. Cullen joined the National Historical Publications and 
Records Commission in 1990 and has served with distinction as 
representative of the Association for Documentary Editing.
  Dr. Cullen is a tireless advocate for the vital importance of 
documentary editing, always adhering to the highest standards, and in 
service to the public good. President and librarian emeritus of the 
Newberry Library, Dr. Cullen has been associated with that highly 
respected center for research and public access since 1986. Previously, 
he taught at Averett College, the College of William and Mary, and 
Princeton University, and worked as the editor on the Papers of John 
Marshall and the Papers of Thomas Jefferson. He has written or 
contributed to more than thirty books and articles, and has lectured 
widely on subjects relating to the age of Jefferson, the scholarly use 
of computers, and the role of humanities research libraries. An early 
advocate for the use of computers in scholarly editing, he received the 
Association for Documentary Editing's Distinguished Service Award in 
1987.
  His role on the Commission has been distinguished by a relentless 
insistence on quality and by his leadership on many issues, not solely 
scholarly editing, and he will be sorely missed. The Commission tanks 
Charles Cullen for his dedicated service and contributions to its 
programs with our sincere respect and affection.