Colleen Shogan | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| 11thArchivist of the United States | |
| In office May 17, 2023 – February 7, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Debra Steidel Wall (acting) |
| Succeeded by | William J. Bosanko (acting)[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Education | Boston College (BA) Yale University (PhD) |
Colleen Joy Shogan is an American author and academic who served asArchivist of the United States from May 17, 2023, until her dismissal on February 7, 2025.[2] She was the first woman confirmed as the nation's archivist. Prior to her confirmation as Archivist, Shogan was the director of the David M. Rubenstein Center for White House History at theWhite House Historical Association.
Born and raised inGreater Pittsburgh, Shogan was encouraged to read mysteries by her late mother, Patricia, and started with books from theNancy Drew andHardy Boys series.[3] Shogan graduated fromNorwin High School.[4]
She was a first-generation college student in her family and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science fromBoston College and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in American politics fromYale University.[3][5]
After earning her PhD, Shogan worked as anassociate professor of government and politics atGeorge Mason University.[6] She is the author ofMoral Rhetoric of American Presidents, a book onthe rhetorical presidency. Shogan later joined theLibrary of Congress, where she served as assistant deputy for collections and deputy director of theCongressional Research Service. Shogan worked as the vice chair of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission and taught as an adjunct professor in the government department atGeorgetown University.[7][8][9]
On August 13, 2022, PresidentJoe Biden nominated Shogan to be 11thArchivist of the United States.[8]
TheU.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee held two hearings to consider Shogan's nomination. The first hearing was held on September 21, 2022, and the panel were deadlocked on her nomination by a 7–7 party-line vote and did not advance Shogan's nomination.[10] The second hearing was held February 28, 2023.[11] On March 15, 2023, the committee advanced Shogan's nomination by an 8–4 vote.[12]
During the hearings, Shogan stated that she would not publish theEqual Rights Amendment as part of theUnited States Constitution, stating that the job of the archivist is to publish constitutional amendments following proper ratification, not to decide when an amendment is published,[13] in line with aDepartment of JusticeOffice of Legal Counsel memo on the subjectin January 2020.[14] Shogan's views were criticized by the ERA Coalition.[15] Shogan also pledged to reduce the backlog of "over 300,000 veterans'records requests", calling it the "most important discrete problem" facing her,[16] and said she would be looking for ways todeclassify older historical records.[17][16] She further promisedtransparency on records related to theFBI search of Mar-a-Lago,[18] committed to working with U.S. SenatorJon Ossoff onCivil Rights Cold Cases,[19] stated that she would "welcome all Americans to the National Archives" if confirmed,[20] and said she would serve in a "nonpartisan, apolitical capacity".[21] In her opening statement at the September 2022 hearing, she also pledged to find "creative ways" to make theNational Archives and Records Administration moreefficient, build upon existingpublic-private partnerships, and engageunderrepresented groups in "meaningful ways".[22]
On May 4, 2023, theUnited States Senate invoked cloture on Shogan's nomination by a 53–44 vote.[23] On May 10, 2023, Shogan was confirmed as the 11th Archivist of the United States by a 52–45 vote,[24][25] with her term beginning the following week.[8]
She was sworn in and began work on May 17, 2023, with her first briefing focused on addressing the "backlog of veterans’ records" and speaking withNational Personnel Records Center leaders.[26]
On January 24, 2024, the National Archives announced the elimination of the "pandemic-related backlog of veteran records" at theNational Personnel Records Center.[27] Shogan is the first woman appointed as Archivist of the United States.[28]
On December 17, 2024, Shogan, and the Deputy Archivist, William J. Bosanko, issued a public statement refusing to publish the Equal Rights Amendment, despite push from 120 Congressional Democratic representatives, likeCori Bush andAyanna Pressley, stating that neither they, norJoe Biden could act without congressional or legal action lifting the ratification deadline.[29] Later, on January 17, 2025, President Biden declared that the ERA had "been ratified" and part of the U.S. Constitution, which had no legal effect on the amendment's ratification, and a senior official, quoted by theAssociated Press, stated that Biden did not direct Shogan to certify the amendment.[30][31]
In October 2024, theWall Street Journal reported that Shogan and her top advisers had censored numerous displays at the National Archives' museum in an effort to de-emphasize negative parts of U.S. history, according to documents, and current and former employees. According to the article, Shogan and her top aides, likeEllis Brachman, ordered the removal of images ofMartin Luther King, Jr.,Dolores Huerta, andMinnie Spotted-Wolf from the Discovery Center wing of theNational Archives Museum, images byDorothea Lange of Japanese-Americanconcentration camps, cut information about the negative environmental effects ofcoal mining and the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese-Americans from various exhibits, and directed employees to find "success stories about white people". Shogan was alleged to ask why a museum exhibit onWestern expansion was centered on Indigenous people, ordered records showing treaties in which Indigenous tribes ceded "their lands to the U.S. government", and directed that a patent for thecontraceptive pill be replaced by a patent for thebump stock, and reportedly said that exhibits should not be pushing a "partisan agenda". It was also asserted that some senior officials who had resigned had blamed Shogan's leadership, with one long-time employee for the archives filing awhistleblower complaint, claiming that "Shogan abused her authority and engaged in censorship", and that she had done too much to "appease Republicans".[32] Brachman asserted, according toCurrent Affairs, that the story is inaccurate, claiming that "balance was missing in the early planning of some of the new galleries here, and we have had to make some difficult decisions during the planning process" and that some people did not "want to do the hard work to address the nuanced and many layered facts of American history."[33] Brachman also told theJewish Telegraphic Agency that "the story is not accurate."[34]
Historians and commentators responded toThe Wall Street Journal's reporting. The president ofWin Without War, Stephen Miles, argued that Shogan's reported action was, "preemptively self-censoring and hiding essential parts of any honest telling of American history", and called it a dereliction of the agency's mission. AuthorDavid Neiwert said that Shogan and her advisors need to be replaced, and that she is, "making a travesty of American history." HistorianHarvey G. Cohen echoed the same sentiment, stating that the National Archives should be focused on "preserving and presenting the truth" andTimothy D. Snyder called Shogan's reported conduct, "anticipatory obedience". Former Obama administration officialBrandon Friedman andPhiladelphia Inquirer columnist Will Brunch accused Shogan and her advisors of, "obeying fascism in advance".[35] In an article inCurrent Affairs, Nathan J. Robinson argued that the National Archives Museum was backsliding into "a sanitized mythological retelling of American history", asserted that Shogan is "intensely worried about being accused of partisanship" and argued that theArchivist of the United States should be "committed to telling a truthful story that reflects what actually happened."[33] On November 1, theCongressional Asian Pacific American Caucus,Congressional Hispanic Caucus, andCongressional Black Caucus chairsJudy Chu,Nanette Barragán, andSteven Horsford issued a statement which criticized NARA's reported actions, saying that the agency was "preemptively appeas[ing]...conservative interests" and aligning withfar-right "book ban movements nationwide", and urged Shogan to restore these references and exhibits to ensure that "NARA and the National Archives Museum tell the full and most accurate story of our nation."[36]
On October 30, 2024, Shogan issued a response to the Wall Street Journal's reporting. She restated her "commitment to leading NARA without partisanship or ideology", asserted that federal employees are not there to "promote or share our personal interpretation of the records" but are there, in her view, to "preserve, protect, and share the records with all Americans". She also called the article "misinformed" and said she "strongly disagree[d]" with it, arguing that the article was based on "anonymous complaints about that work and my leadership of the agency" and stated that NARA will remain, in her view, "thoughtful in how we engage with our past and focused on fostering understanding and dialogue", and reprinted her statement which had been sent to theWall Street Journal.[34]
On January 6, 2025, President-electDonald Trump stated in a phone interview with radio hostHugh Hewitt that he intends to replace Shogan as head of the National Archives, saying "we will have a new archivist."[37] On February 6,ABC News reported thatMarco Rubio had been the ActingArchivist of the United States since the inauguration ofDonald Trump on January 20.[38] Later reporting by404 Media stated that this reporting was misunderstanding, faulty, or a "bad news source," quoting an unnamed National Archives employee, and noted that Shogan was still listed asArchivist of the United States, pointing to an all-hands meeting of National Archives on February 4, where she stated that the agency will implement the guidance of the new administration, is learning about new complex orders, and taking actions "under tight deadlines."[39]
On February 7, 2025,Sergio Gor, White House Director of Presidential Personnel, announced on social media that Shogan had been removed as Archivist of the United States.CNN reported that althoughDonald Trump wanted to replace her, she did not know she would be removed so quickly, and was reportedly surprised when informed.[2] Shogan stated on her personalLinkedIn page thatDonald Trump had fired her, asserted that "no cause or reason was cited," and noting she had "zero regrets...[and] did [her]...best...for the National Archives and the American people."[40][41][42] TheAmerican Historical Association (AHA) andSociety of American Archivists (SAA) released statements critical of Shogan's removal. The AHA's executive director,James Grossman, requested that the White House comply withfederal law (U.S. CodeTitle 44, Chapter 21, section 2103) and inform theU.S. Congress of the reasons that Shogan was dismissed, and added that "democracy rests on the rule of law...history of the United States rests on unfettered access to the archival record."[43]
The SAA leadership described the removal of Shogan as alarming, saying that her removal with "no stated cause does harm to our nation and its people," stated that the organization would continue to support the mission of the National Archives, noted that the organization would continue to monitor the situation at the National Archives, support the National Archives "workers and archivists across the United States" and called upon those reading the statement to contact their legislators and advocate for "the safekeeping of government archives is essential to a free and healthy democracy."[44] The National Archives' former director of litigation, Jason R. Baron, expressed his concern of Shogan's dismissal, tellingPolitico that "no good reason exists for firing Dr. Shogan, as she has faithfully carried out her duties in a nonpartisan fashion...Dr. Shogan had nothing to do with...the successful return of boxes of presidential records...[from] Mar-a-Lago."[45]
Following her being fired as Archivist of the United States, in February 2025, Shogan was hired by More Perfect, anonpartisannonprofit, as a senior advisor. She later toldWTOP that the position was similar to her previous role in that she is helping "bring our nation’s history to young people and Americans all across the country" and that, in her view, "women are criticized for their leadership more than men," adding that some criticism is valid, but not everything.[46]
She is the author of eight murder mystery novels, featuring Washington congressional aide Kit Marshall,[47] with titles that includeStabbing in the Senate,Homicide in the House, andLarceny at the Library.[3] "They're puzzles, and I like to solve puzzles", she said in 2023 about her novels.[48]
Shogan is married toRob Raffety, the internal communications director forStand Together.[32]
The Washington Whodunit series:
| Book | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stabbing in theSenate | 2015 | ISBN 9781603813310 |
| Homicide in theHouse | 2016 | ISBN 9781603813334 |
| Calamity at the Continental Club | 2017 | ISBN 9781603813358 |
| K Street Killing | 2018 | ISBN 9781603816137 |
| Gore in theGarden | 2019 | ISBN 9781603817233 |
| Larceny at theLibrary | 2020 | ISBN 9781603818353 |
| Dead as a Duck | 2021 | ISBN 9781942078326 |
| Lethal Legacies | 2022 | ISBN 9781684920303 |
Without further action by Trump, Deputy Archivist Jay Bosanko — a career employee — would automatically step in as the acting head of the Archives.
Colleen teaches at Georgetown University in the Government Department and is a member of the History Education Advisory Board for America250
She taught at Georgetown University in the Government Department and moderated seminars for the Aspen Institute
Who will decide the fate of the ERA is the Federal Judiciary and/or Congress.
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