Author: Gen-Fed Administration

“Over the top” and “an institute of unforgettable magnitude” are just a few of the participant reactions to the inaugural week of the newly-branded Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), held July 11-15, 2016, at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Attendees overwhelming agreed that the institute met their educational needs by providing an in-depth look at federal records in a setting that maximized the on-site experience. When asked what they valued most about the experience, they cited the balance between theory (lectures) and practice (pulling textual records) and the increased exposure to new ideas, resources, procedures, experts, and peers. One attendee commented that “the one-on-one with attentive and helpful archivists at NARA was worth the price of admission.”  The experience was recommended to those “ready to take his or her skills to the next level” because “a strong base of knowledge of federal records is a must for every genealogist today.”

The Class of 2016 offered exciting Tales of Discovery like this one:

“In a bounty land file, I found a widow ancestor’s War of 1812 pension application that included proof of two marriages, the deaths of both husbands, and the wartime service of the first husband including affidavits from distant FAN club members. It was a goldmine of genealogical information.”

To read more, visit  Tales of Discovery 2016. Our photo album is here.

The Institute is set for July 9–July 14, 2017.  Online registration for 2017 Gen-Fed will be held on Saturday, February 25.  To receive news about next year’s program, sign up for announcements by entering your email address in the Subscribe box on the bottom right at the institute website, https://www.gen-fed.org.

Debra A. Hoffman has been named Assistant Director of the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records. A resident of New Windsor, Maryland, she is a professional genealogist and the owner of Hoffman Genealogical Services. She is a frequent speaker at genealogical societies and libraries and has presented at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She has authored articles in the Carrolltonian, Der Kurier, Bluegrass Roots, Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin and the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly. She has a certificate in Family History from Brigham Young University and is a graduate of the ProGen Study Group. Active in the genealogical community, Debra currently serves on the board of the Maryland Genealogical Society, is the Vice President of the Carroll County Genealogical Society and is the Recording Secretary for the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society. She belongs to the William Winchester Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Debra has received awards for her genealogical writing from the International Society of Family History Writers & Editors.

Debra was of great assistance in the months leading up to Gen-Fed 2016 and provided invaluable administrative support even while participating as a student. I am happy that she is willing to embrace an even greater role in the future. It is a pleasure to work with her.

In addition to managing registration and evaluation, Debra will become secretary-treasurer of the nonprofit corporation.

Malissa Ruffner, J.D., CG^SM, Director
Genealogical Institute on Federal Records

The National Institute on Genealogical Research Alumni Association (NIGRAA) will hold its Annual Banquet on Friday, July 15, 2016, at the close of the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records, welcoming the first class of the renamed institute.  The traditional gathering offers a unique opportunity to network with graduates of the oldest genealogical institute in the country. The venue, Vantage Point Restaurant, at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn, in Arlington, Virginia, offers a stunning view of Washington, D.C.

This year’s speaker, LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, J.D. , LL.M., CG℠,  Class of  2012, will present “Including African American Genealogy in the American Mosaic.”  The cash bar opens at 6:00 PM, followed by dinner at 7: 00 PM and the program at 8:00 PM.

Guests are welcome and there is free parking.

Holiday Inn Rosslyn, 1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209; Rosslyn Station Metro Stop.

To make reservations online, visit Members’ Corner, or download a registration form and mail it with your check: Banquet Reservation Form 15 July 2016.   

Reservation Deadline: Monday, July 11, 2016.

The National Institute on Genealogical Research Alumni Association (NIGRAA) announces, with great pleasure, the recipient of the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship for 2016, Angela Lucas. Awarded yearly, this scholarship covers tuition and some other expenses for the week long seminar during July at the National Archives, previously titled NIGR, and recently renamed the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed). The scholarship application specifies an “experienced researcher employed in a paid or volunteer position in the services of the genealogical community.” Ms. Lucas’ application rose to the top, and it is a pleasure to award the scholarship to her.

Angela Lucas is a professional genealogist specializing in northern Alabama and its surrounding areas. Her work takes her to court documents, military files, and land records as she tackles complex genealogical problems. Ms. Lucas is a retired schoolteacher, passionate about learning and applying new skills, and delighted to be a Gen-Fed 2016 attendee.

Angela’s interest in genealogy started in childhood as she explored libraries, cemeteries and historic sites with her mother, an avid genealogist. At fifteen, Angela began researching her father’s family by writing letters to older relatives. Today she and her sister collaborate on their shared genealogy. Ms. Lucas volunteers at Madison County Records Center in Huntsville, Alabama, indexing early court records and assisting patrons. She is currently “on the clock” with BCG and plans to submit her portfolio this fall.

Ms. Lucas is a ProGen21 alumnus, has attended national conferences and regional seminars, has completed the NGS Home Study Course, and taken courses at IGHR (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research) for several years. She is a member of APG, NGS, Alabama Genealogical Society, and Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society.

She is delighted and honored to be this year’s winner of the Richard S. Lackey Memorial Scholarship and is looking forward to a rewarding week in our nation’s capital. NIGRAA, in turn, is happy that Ms. Lucas decided to apply for the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship, and wishes her great success during Gen-Fed 2016.

Contact: Nicki Birch, President, NIGRAA – LNPBirch@verizon.net

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records held its first online registration this weekend, and the response was strong—100% strong.  This year’s class hails from 18 different states and promises to broaden the horizons of everyone who attends.  If you had been thinking of attending but missed registration, we highly recommend the top of the waiting list. It’s not a bad place to perch, especially for those who can be flexible and jump at opportunity. While we hope that all our registrants can follow through with their plans, real life does sometimes get in the way.

Check out this year’s program here. You can put your name on a waiting list here.  And if you need more arguments in favor of attending, read blog posts by Dave McDonald, Eric Stroschein, DearMyrtle, and Judy G. Russell.

Thanks to Elissa Scalise Powell for her help!  She generously shared her GRIP expertise with us, another wonderful example of the genealogical community pulling together.

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records has long been advertised as “for experienced researchers.” And we were recently asked the question, “What does ‘experienced’ mean?”

There is no set of fixed prerequisites. But we have come up with this list of questions. The more frequently you can answer “yes” to these questions, the more likely it is that you will enjoy and benefit from the institute.

• Have you ever attended a week-long institute?
• Have you researched at repositories and/or archives and used finding aids?
• Are you familiar with federal records that are already available online?
• Are you willing to brainstorm, with staff guidance, about where to find your ancestors in records?
• Are you ready to give and get feedback from classmates?
• Are you interested in broader contextual information in addition to straight genealogical information?
• Are you ready to learn new lingo?
• Are you prepared to manage your research time within the constraints of a record pull schedule?
• Do you love hot weather?

That last one is a trick question. July in Washington,D.C. can be lovely!

You do not need to score 100% on the Yes Quiz.  But you do need to be ready to push yourself a bit to get the most from Gen-Fed. The rewards are great.

Registration is set for Saturday, February 27, at 11:00 AM.  Instructions are posted here. Details about Gen-Fed 2016 are here.

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) has announced details on registration, scheduled to open on Saturday, February 27, at 11:00 AM EST.  Reservations will be taken online, via 123SignUp, and tuition payment will be due by check within 15 days of making a reservation. Complete instructions are posted here. Read them over and mark your calendars!

To learn more about this year’s program, visit Gen-Fed 2016.

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records has announced its 2016 list of lecturers and topics for the week-long course to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and College Park, Maryland from July 11–15, 2016. Among those presenting are NARA staff members, current and retired, and expert genealogists, researchers, historians, and librarians from a variety of backgrounds.

The week begins with “Methodological Monday,” immersing attendees in multiple access strategies for the week on-site and beyond. Lectures on military, land and immigration records, long time staples of the institute, will go beyond the basics to introduce students to sources available only in Washington, D.C. Records from all three branches of governments will be studied during the institute—legislative, executive, and judicial. Special topic lectures include the records of the New Deal and the Freedmen’s Bureau, which are currently being indexed by collaborative effort. The list of sessions appears below.

Online registration for the 2016 Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will open on Saturday, February 27, at 11:00 AM EST. Details on registration will be released on Thursday, February 18. For more information on the institute and its history, visit www.gen-fed.org.

A Federal Family Tree
       —Malissa Ruffner, JD, CG^SM, Director, Genealogical Institute on Federal Records
Using NARA Finding Aids for Archival Research
       —Katherine Vollen, NARA
The National Archives Catalog
       —Jason Clingerman, NARA
NARA’s Records, Coast to Coast
       —Trevor Plante, NARA
Introduction to Local History and Genealogy, Main Reading Room, Library of Congress (LC) (at LC)—
       — James Sweany, MSLS
Basic Military Records and Pension Records
       —Jonathan Webb Deiss, Military Research Specialist, soldiersource.com
Mining Land Entry Records for Family History and Reward for Service: Bounty Land Records
       —Angela McGhie, CG^SM,professional genealogist, lecturer, and blogger
Family History in Congressional Records
       —Adam Berenbak, NARA
Genealogy and New Deal Relief
       —John Deeben, NARA
Introduction to the Daughters of the America Revolution (DAR) Library (at DAR)
       —Darryn Lickliter, MLIS
Immigration & Nationality: Beyond the Basic Documents, Part I and Part II
       —Marian Smith, Historian, United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS)
Ancestors Abroad: State Department Correspondence Files
       —Kenneth W. Heger, PhD, NARA (retired)
Recent Images: Still and Moving Picture Research
       —Richard Green, NARA
The Dawn of Freedom: Researching Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau
       —Reginald Washington, NARA (retired)
Court Records: Making a Federal Case Out of It and Spread the Word: More Family in Federal Records
       —Judy G. Russell, JD, CG^SM, CGL^SM ,“The Legal Genealogist”

CG and CGL are proprietary service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by board certificants after periodic evaluation.

The National Institute on Genealogical Research Alumni Association (NIGRAA) has announced details of the 2016 Lackey Scholarship program. The Richard S. Lackey Scholarship is awarded to an experienced researcher employed in a paid or volunteer position in the services of the genealogical community. The Scholarship awards $500, which will cover full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) and partly defray hotel and/or meal costs. A check for the amount less tuition will be presented at the Alumni Association Dinner, which the awardee will attend as a guest of the Alumni Association.

The instructions and application can be downloaded at the Gen-Fed website Scholarships page. A complete application must be received by 15 February 2016. The winner will be notified within thirty days. The scholarship winner will automatically be accepted for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 15, 2016.

The Board of Trustees of the National Institute on Genealogical Research has announced that the institute’s name was changed to the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) on December 22, 2015.  more “NIGR becomes Gen-Fed” …