Celebrating Twenty Years of Independence (1985-2005)
On April 1, 1985, the effective date of the National Archives and Records Act of 1984, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) became an independent agency. In 2005, NARA observed its 20th anniversary of independence with programs on NARA’s past, present, and future.
Celebrate with us!
- 20 years in pictures: 1985-2005
- Read a first-hand account of the campaign for independence in the 1980s;
- In 2005, NARA named its Washington, DC, Research Center for former Archivist of the United States Robert M. Warner.
- View the May 20, 2005 webcast of 20th anniversary panel discussion at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC:
Video Stream
- Panel Discussion — "NARA to the Future"
- David B. McMillen, Minority Staff Member, Committee in Government Reform and Oversight, U.S. House of Representatives
- Randall Jimerson, President, The Society of American Archivists
- Ian Wilson, National Archivist, Library and Archives of Canada
- Robert Horton, State Archivist, Minnesota Historical Society
- Richard Barry, Principal, Barry Associates
- Read the 1984 act that established NARA as an independent agency. (3.13 MB)
PDF files require the free Adobe Reader.
More information on Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our Accessibility page.
