Here we are amidst the founding documents of our country. For an occasion that you will all will remember, as i will the rest of your lives. Despite my name is jim blanchard, i happen to be the chair and president of the National Archives foundation. I want to welcome you on behalf of the foundation to this ceremony. Commemorating and the oath of office for the 11th archivist of the United States, dr. Colleen show. Good. So now its my pleasure to introduce the archive host of the United States, dr. Colleen shogan. Now, its my pleasure to introduce the chief justice of the United States supreme court, john roberts, jr. And now again, another pleasure to introduce the first lady of the United States of america, dr. Jill biden. As we start this ceremony, i would ask that everyone, please rise for the presentation of the colors by the navy color guard. Followed by the singing of our national anthem. By Millicent Scarlett. Palmer. Oh, say, can you see . Oh, is it also eli . It was so. Easy. It hurt the tooth. Its last gleaming. Who brought stripes and a bright star. This. 3 dress for eight or the reports we watched was so good. At least three in her. Arms boosted singing tips keep three on my that offer was still there. Oh, say it all it stands tall spangled me it with even all those. Tv. The. Live. Thank you again Millicent Scarlett and once again on behalf of national i archives foundation, i want to welcome you to this very, very special event. Our foundation, the National Archives foundation has been the nonprofit partner of the National Archives for over 30 years. And we are the ones that support, promote, plan, help execute public programs, exhibitions, civic education, resources and much more. All these which are a wonderful gift by this Great Institution that we offer to our country and the world. And i want to acknowledge our Foundation Board members, please, you can get seated everybody else, but excuse me, im not used im not used to preaching preaching from the pulpit lately. But i want our board members, Foundation Board members to please stand up. All right. Thank you. And also Staff Members of the National Archives itself. Those of you are here. We thank you for your service and please stand up. Some of you are very modest and youre in the back. But we appreciate what you do. Also with us is the United States senator from west virginia, shelly capital. And here. I believe were also joined by chairman and congressman Stephen Womack of arkansas. Congressman, thank you for being with us. Thank you. Our previous archivists and our dear friend david ferriero, the 10th archivist of the United States, is here on hand. David, where are you . Anyway, thank you. And most recently, during very difficult and challenging times, the acting archivist before dr. Kogan, deb walsh. Deb, thank you again for your service. And the vice chair of our foundation secretary, rodney slater. Rodney, thank you for your leadership. I think most of you know that the National Archive is a truly unique government institution. By the way, its an indepth on an agency created by frank and Ellen Roosevelt in the in the thirties. We contain billions of documents within these buildings and other buildings, and each tells a part of the american story. We are obviously in the archives is tasked with preserving our past, but it must do with an eye to the future. So we celebrate that future today as were gathered for this ceremony. Were celebrating new beginnings and new leadership. And its exciting day, as we all know. Now, it is my pleasure to introduce the first lady of the United States, dr. Jill biden. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you so. Thank you, governor blanchard. And thank you for your dedication to the National Archives. And senator capital. You were a champion for dr. Shogun in the senate. And so thank you for everything that you did to make this moment possible. 22 years ago today, the horror of 911 changed us all in some way. We must always remember those lost that day and in the aftermath. And we will keep their families always in our hearts. We stand with them today and every day. The history of a democracy belongs to its people, and we must preserve it with care for future generations. As far back as the Constitutional Convention. Our leaders recognize the power of our founding document and the importance of keeping them safe and access of all this express element in democracy hinged on the people. And their ability to claim their rights and hold their elect state officials accountable. That power could only be made real with access to history unfilled, shared and uncensored. So in the 250 years since, we have collected these records, first in the hands of george washington. Later at the department of state. And now in the National Archives. Each one is a snapshot in time, tracing the history of a young republic. Our republic from its nascent beginnings to who we are today. The greatest, most powerful country on this planet. The constant tension and the declaration of independence. Like the Louisiana Purchase and emancipation proclamation, the 13th and 19th amendment. Harriet tubman. Civil war pension claims. Thomas edisons light bulb. Patent. A letter. Annie oakley sent to president mckinley in 1898. Volunteering the lady sharpshooters for the spanishamerican war. The transfer of power between 46 present agents. Each of these pieces of paper tells a story. The story of a country and its people seeking and zagging through history, imperfectly matching, marching toward a more perfect union. Conversely, some times that story is a dark one. Manifest lots of slave ships. President roosevelts exact native order on japanese internment. The supreme courts dred scott decision. Its the start worries. We must learn the most from. Its these that we must study for past is prolog, as one of the statues flanking this building proclaims. As an educator, i know this will that our present and our future are inextricably linked to our past, and that we must learn from the past or be bound to repeat it. Thats why, as first lady, ive been so committed to uphold the sacred institutions, so they may continue to serve the American People and teach the next generation about our shared heritage. These National Archives have captured our copy located story for nearly 100 years, and for that entire period, the archives have been led by men. You know where im going today . However, im so honored to be part of this ceremony. Ive the first swear in the first woman ever to be appointed archives of the United States. Yes. Give her another round of applause. Its thrilling. The history we preserve, the stories we elevate, the voices we amplify are shaped by the person at the helm of this institution. These stories are all of our stories. Men and women of all backgrounds, ages and creed. What we choose to preserve, serve, and whose voices we deem worthy of placing in our national memory. Thats why this milestone the first woman head of the National Archives and Records Administration is so momentous. Dr. Kogan, congratulations on becoming the 11th archivist of the United States. Youre immensely qualified with a Sterling Record of service, a clear commitment to preserving our nations unique history and a deep respect for this countrys founding principle. I cant wait for the next generation of american stories that will be housed within these walls under your leadership. Thank you so much. Congratulations. Thank you very much. Dr. Biden. And thanks again for being with us. Also in our audience is the 14th librarian of congress, dr. Carla hayden, which was our very. As we get ready to have the chief justice administer the oath, i do want to say a couple of words about our honoree here today. Dr. Colleen shogan, weve said shes the 11th archivist of the United States. She happens to be the first woman archivist as well, thanks to President Joe Biden and the u. S. Senate. Thank you, senator capito. Shes a proud native of pittsburgh. Shes a recognized. Well being from detroit. I can relate to that. Prior to her appointment, she was Senior Vice President and director of the David M Rubinstein center at the white historical White House Historical association. She also served as a legislator to the system in the United States senate, and she was a Senior Adviser and executive at the library of congress. In addition, she was vice chair of the womens Suffrage Centennial commission and is chair of the board of directors of the womens suffrage National Monument foundation. She brings to us an exciting, sharp tear in our history. And so now its my honor to introduce the chief justice of the United States, john roberts, jr, and the 11th archivist of the United States of america, dr. Colin shulgin. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I Colleen Shogan do solemnly swear. I Colleen Shogan do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the United States. That i will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That i will bear true faith. And allegiance to the same. That i take this obligation freely. That i take this obligation freely. Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. Without any mental reservation. Or purpose of evasion. And that i will well and faithfully discharge. And that i will well and faithfully discharge. The duties of the office on which i am about to enter. The duties of the office upon which im about to enter. So help me god. So help me god. Congratulations. Thank you so again. Now. Thank you so much. Thank you. Please. Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Dr. Biden. Chief justice roberts. Members of congress, my family members, distinguished guests, the National Archives foundation. And the dedicated staff of the National Archives. Today, as we gather in this rotunda, we remember and honor the lives lost on september 11th. A solemn reminder of our resilience of as a nation and the enduring power of unity and compassion. Everyone here today has played a role in supporting me and the National Archives, and i appreciate each of you for your friendship and for your support. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the 11th archivist of the United States. Its not lost on me today that im the first woman appointee to serve in this role. You might have guessed it that it matters to me by what im wearing today. I wore white today to recognize those who made it possible for me to stand here today and take this oath. The suffragists didnt sign the declaration of independence or the constitution, so they arent on these murals behind me. But theyre a contribution to the vitality of our democracy. Is no less meaningful, along with many other inspiring leaders in American History. They believed in the principles enshrined in these documents and claim them as their god given natural rights. The fulfillment of those rights, which continues today, is why these documents arent simply pieces of parchment. They are living promises to hold our government accountable. Why is accountability important in a democracy . Its a fair question. Shouldnt we expect our government to do the right thing and to make decisions to promote the common good . The answer is yes. But its important to remember that in that representative democracies require hard work, not just from politicians, but from every citizen. At the end of the Constitutional Convention in philadelphia here, a woman asked ben franklin if the proposed government would result in a republic or a monarchy. Dr. Franklin famously replied, a republic, if you can keep it. Franklins quip packs a punch. Any government which derives its trust powers from the people requires eternal vigilance. Engage ment and knowledge. After all, the prevalent condition in Human History is not democracy. A rights based government. Rather, the default is autocracy and tyranny. Where might makes right. With little regard to individual freedom or the pursuit of happiness. What prevents us from falling back into the classic pattern of authoritarianism is our right. Indeed, our responsibility to hold our government accountable. Thats what makes the National Archives so important. Without the National Archives and the continued fulfillment of its mission, a healthy democracy cannot be sustained. Our task is straightforward, but it grows in complexity every day. The National Archives preserves, protects and shares the billions of records in its custody with the citizens of this great nation. We do this to Cultivate Public participation and to strengthen our democracy, to meet the evolving requirements of that mission. The National Archives will need to transform itself for the digital age. Change is never easy, especially for an organization rightly steeped in history and tradition. But as a political scientist, i know the critical inflection points in the long trajectory of an institution are almost always moments of unimpressive and an opportunity. We will need to embrace Technical Energy to meet our mission in ways that might make us uncomfortable at times. New ways of doing things will challenge our second nature. Our second nature, habits and processes. But if we are going to succeed, we must move forward boldly. Timidity will not be our friend. As records continue to proliferate and expand until rates, the National Archives can collect, digitize and preserve, but without enhancing how we share the records, the papers, the pictures, the emails, the films. Then i ask you, whats the point . In new and creative ways we will share the records of the National Archives with as Many Americans as possible. I want all citizens to find a connection with history at the National Archives. Whether its a personal, scholarly genealogical or creative endeavor. All should feel welcome here. I want as Many Americans as possible to visit us in person here in the rotunda or at one of the many National Archives facilities across the country. And for those who cant come to us, i want to take the National Archives to them online and around the United States. We also have a special obligation to help kids who are learning about American History and civics in this respect. Our nations report card is deficient. The National Archives should be a first stop for all teachers and students, and we will double down on creating useful, engaging materials for the classroom. Understanding American History and government should not be treated as an afterthought, taught and engaged in forms. Citizenry is a critical prerequisite for the health of our democracy. And we need to treat it as such. These are not ordinary times in our nations history. We are faced with fundamental questions about how we think critically about our shared past. Debate about these interpretive notions can invigorate our democratic institutions. If executed respectfully and rationally. However, let us not forget our north star, which guides us in all of our spirited exchanges. This, of course, is the declaration of independence, which i try to visit every day that i come to work in this building. It contains perhaps the most audacious statement in the history of the world that all men are created equal. Although this truth is self evident, we know from our almost 250 years of American History that it is not self executing. It is our job collectively to uphold these principles and protect them. I invite all americans to join me in this critical task. Thank you again for being here today. I look forward to working with all of you to ensure that we meet our obligation to the nation. Thank you. Dr. Biden. Chief justice roberts. Dr. Shogun, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for celebrating what will always be one of the most memorable occasions in your life and ours. This concludes our program. We now invite you to celebrate with us behind you in the National Archives galleries. Well see you down there. Thank you. Colleen shogan, you became the first female archivist of the United States. You recently