Gen-Fed Administration

Gen-Fed 2023 Registration Coming Soon!

March 7, 2023

Registration will be held between March 11th and 17th for the in-person session of the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. from August 7th through 12th, 2023.

Applications for available seats will be collected via a registration link to be posted on March 11th at 9:00 am ET, and taken down on March 17th at 9:00 pm ET. The live drawing will be conducted on March 18th at 1:00 pm ET for the limited number of seats and a link to the drawing will be posted here.

Students who held reserved seats from the 2020 cancellation have been notified and their seats confirmed.

For program information and costs, go to our page at https://www.gen-fed.org/home/what-to-know/. Questions may be sent to info@gen-fed.org. Note that there will be no waiting list collected for 2024.

Good luck, and we hope to see you in Washington, D.C.!

Richard S. Lackey Scholarship for 2023

December 20, 2022

2023 Richard S. Lackey Memorial Scholarship Application

Genealogical Institute on Federal Records Alumni Association

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) Alumni Association is sponsoring the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship. The Gen-Fed Alumni Association’s purpose is to promote, conduct, and foster education, research, study, and analysis related to genealogy and to disseminate information and support other similar undertakings.

Richard S. Lackey (1921–1983) of Mississippi was a leader in the drive to improve the professionalization of the genealogical community. In addition to lecturing and teaching, he was an author/compiler of standards for genealogical writing, and of Mississippi source material. His work exemplified the highest standards of competent research and scholarly citation of sources. His books Cite Your Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records (1980) and Write it Right (1983), co-authored with Donald R. Barnes, promote proper documentation of sources within family histories and genealogical papers. At the time of his death, Richard was President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

The scholarship is awarded annually to an experienced researcher active in a paid or volunteer position which directly benefits the genealogical community. This year the scholarship will award $1000, which covers full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), and partly defrays hotel and/or meal costs. Provided the public health situation allows it, the Gen-Fed Alumni Association will also provide dinner at the Gen-Fed Alumni Banquet on Friday night, August 11, 2023, where a check for the amount less tuition will be presented to the recipient.

Susan Schuler, the 2022 scholarship recipient, says, “Attending Gen-Fed 2022 through the Lackey Scholarship was monumental for my genealogical education. The opportunity to learn from some of the most knowledgeable and generous professionals in genealogy bolstered my own knowledge and confidence. This has allowed me to grow and develop the genealogy program at East Lake Community Library in Palm Harbor, Florida, and in turn has benefited our patrons and their research.”

For more information about the Institute, visit www.gen-fed.org. The application can be downloaded from the Scholarships page. All applications and additional attachments must be submitted in PDF format, combined in one file.

The completed application form and attachments should be emailed to Jonathan Deiss at jdeiss@soldiersource.com with “Lackey Scholarship 2023” in the subject line. The PDF file name should include your last name and first initial, such as “DoeJ Lackey Scholarship 2023 Application.” A complete application must be received by midnight (EST) January 31, 2023. The winner will be notified by 1 March 2023. Other applicants will be notified shortly after that date. 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 August 7-12, 2023.

Good luck!

Gen-Fed 2023 Will Be In-Person at NARA

December 20, 2022

WE ARE BACK!!

We are delighted to announce that the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will hold its next session in person at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. from August 7th through 12th, 2023.

Registration will be held between March 11th and 17th. Prospective students may submit an application for a seat, and a live drawing will be conducted on March 18th for the limited number of seats.

Students who held reserved seats from the 2019 cancellation have been notified and should contact the office at info@gen-fed.org to confirm their seat for 2023; a seat will not be held for them past 2023.

Thanks to all at NARA who have worked so hard to make this in person institute possible and for all their support in the last two years of virtual institutes!

Application information for registration will be posted at the beginning of March 2023.

Don’t Miss This Update for Gen-Fed 2022

March 31, 2022

Guess Where I Was Yesterday?

I was lucky enough to have my first appointment for my own research in person at NARA in D.C. It is a two-hour trip for me, each way, and I do not mind at all. The staff was amazing and well organized. (Kudos for finding that missing Mexican War pension, Catherine!)

Although unplanned, I had an opportunity to meet yesterday with the gentlemen who liaison with our program at NARA. I did not have a chance to discuss all this with my Assistant Director, Cinda Baxter before the last chance meeting came up. The critical information came at the close of the Archives yesterday evening when I met with the head of the archival staff, and was told officially that NARA will definitely not be able to handle a group our size by August. Just can’t happen. We have no option for being in-person. Gen-Fed will officially be virtual this year.

Now the good news: Last year I took a poll of the instructors and asked that, if we had another virtual session, would they be willing to add students to the list? The response was overwhelmingly positive. I took a brief testing-the-waters poll of a few instructors yesterday and the feeling was the same. I am now announcing that we will take 60 students now instead of 50! I will be contacting those people on the waitlist shortly.

After lengthy discussion while on my long ride home, Cinda and I felt that rather than wait until the end of April to decide, we should announce now. We know people need time to make other arrangements if they need to switch gears. Those students who were on the waitlist from 2019 who want to be put back on the waitlist for an in-person session can email us at info@gen-fed.org.

Thank you so much for your patience as we navigate these still uncertain times. We are excited and gearing up for a strong virtual session. Staff members have already started volunteering to help me pull records for the promised 2 per person after the institute!

Let’s all keep learning!

Gen-Fed Registration 2022: March 12th

March 10, 2022

R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R G E N – F E D V I R T U A L – 2 O 2 2

A drawing for the remaining seats plus 20 waitlist names will be held online live on Saturday, March 12th, at 10 am Pac./11 am Mtn./12 pm Cent./1 pm EDT. We originally planned to host that publicly, but due to privacy concerns, the link will only be shared with those persons who signed up for a chance at registration. Thank you for your understanding.

If you are one of the over 100 requests we received for the remaining seats, please check your emails and your spam folders for the link. Attendance is not required to gain a seat.

A total of 30 seats will be drawn for registration and 20 waitlist names, in case of cancellations. The drawing will be completely randomized, we want to make this as fair as we can.

Good luck!

Rebecca & Cinda

Register Now for Gen-Fed 2022: March 1 to March 7

March 1, 2022

R E G I S T E R N O W F O R G E N – F E D V I R T U A L

Read the following carefully before registering:

Gen-Fed will be held virtually Monday, August 8th through Saturday, August 13th. Classes run everyday 10 am to 6 pm EST, except Saturday which ends at noon.
Registration will stay open until Monday, March 7th at 6 pm Pac./7 pm Mtn./8 pm Cent./9 pm EDT.
The applicants’ names will be put in a drawing throughout that week, therefore the day and time of application will not determine place in line for a seat.
A drawing for the remaining seats (once we know how many of the current students will stay), plus 20 waitlist names will be held online LIVE on Saturday, March 12th, at 10 am Pac./11 am Mtn./12 pm Cent./1 pm EDT. We will post the link for that a few days before here at this website news page.
By registering, you accept the responsibility to pay the institute fee by check or money order of $575.00.
Note: Due to limited seating, it is Gen-Fed policy to not allow persons to re-take Gen-Fed again for 5 years.

Please use the airtable link here to register: https://airtable.com/shrYzeJRCxg5M7Zwn.

For your information (and anticipation!) the classes and events you can expect for the virtual session:*

Pre-Class Videos: History of NARA & Understanding Accessioning; Ordering Records; Using Finding Aids
The National Archives’ Catalog by archivist Claire Kluskens
NARA’s Records—Coast to Coast by archivist Trevor Plante
Q&A with NARA Archivists
NARA Records in Other Online Sources by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
US Immigration & Nationality: Beyond Basics with Marian L. Smith
Blasting Brick Walls with Legislative Records by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Mining Land Entry Records with Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
Basic Military Records at NARA by archivist John Deeben
Pension Records at the National Archives by Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
Reward for Service: Bounty Land Records by Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
Introduction to the Records of NARA Fort Worth by archivist Jenny Sweeny
Records of Archives II: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Records by Archives Staff
Records of Archives II: Federal Civilian Agency Records by Archives Staff
Introduction to the Library of Congress for Genealogists by Ahmed Johnson & Staff
Underused Sources at the National Archives by Debra Hoffman, PLCGS
Unique Map Holdings by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Researching Enslaved African Americans in Federal Records by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
Introduction to Federal Records Documenting Native Americans by Kenneth W. Heger, PhD
Court Records: Making a Federal Case Out of It by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
BCG Board Certification: Your Questions Answered with LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
Busted, Bankrupt, Banged Up: Stories in Federal Court Records by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
Introduction to the Daughters of the American Revolution Library by Elizabeth Ernst
…and throughout the week: 1) hands-on practice exercises dealing with many of the records we learn about, 2) each student signs up for a 20-minute personal session with a archival records specialist, 3) one each personal military consultation with specialist Jonathan Webb Deiss, and 4) each student is promised 2 record pulls (within reasonable limits!) once the Archives opens. (*sessions subject to change)

We can’t wait to see you there!

Rebecca & Cinda

Registration for Gen-Fed 2022: March 1 to March 7

February 21, 2022

GEN-FED 2022 WILL BE A VIRTUAL SESSION

As much as we hope that the National Archives may be open in August, we fear it may not be as open as we wish or that it may be forced to close again just as we are ready to start classes. So it is with an abundance of caution (and disappointment) we make the decision to hold Gen-Fed virtually again. Our instructors’ and students’ safety is our primary consideration.

Gen-Fed will still be held Monday, August 8th through Saturday, August 13th.
A registration link will be posted to this website, here at Gen-Fed.org News on Tuesday, March 1st. The link opens that day at 6 am Pac./7 am Mtn./8 am/Cent./9 am EDT and it will stay open until Monday, March 7th at 6 pm Pac./7 pm Mtn./8 pm Cent./9 pm EDT.
The applicants’ names will be put in a drawing throughout that week, therefore the day and time of application will not determine place in line for a seat.
A drawing for the remaining seats (once we know how many of the current students will stay), plus 20 waitlist names will be held online LIVE on Saturday, March 12th, at 10 am Pac./11 am Mtn./12 pm Cent./1 pm EDT. We will post the link for that a few days before here at this website news page.
The price for Gen-Fed will remain the same as it has since 2020: $575.00 for the week.

Our next most important consideration, besides safety, is the quality of instruction. While none of us can really predict what will happen about closings, we can certainly predict the excellence of our instructors’ talents, no matter the situation. As a precursor, here are the classes and events you can expect for the virtual session:*

Pre-Class Videos: History of NARA & Understanding Accessioning; Ordering Records; Using Finding Aids
The National Archives’ Catalog by archivist Claire Kluskens
NARA’s Records—Coast to Coast by archivist Trevor Plante
Q&A with NARA Archivists
NARA Records in Other Online Sources by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
US Immigration & Nationality: Beyond Basics with Marian L. Smith
Blasting Brick Walls with Legislative Records by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Mining Land Entry Records with Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
Basic Military Records at NARA by archivist John Deeben
Pension Records at the National Archives by Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
Reward for Service: Bounty Land Records by Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
Introduction to the Records of NARA Fort Worth by Archives Staff
Records of Archives II: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Records by Archives Staff
Records of Archives II: Federal Civilian Agency Records by Archives Staff
Introduction to the Library of Congress for Genealogists by Ahmed Johnson & Staff
Underused Sources at the National Archives by Debra Hoffman, PLCGS
Unique Map Holdings by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Researching Enslaved African Americans in Federal Records by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
Introduction to Federal Records Documenting Native Americans by Kenneth W. Heger, PhD
Court Records: Making a Federal Case Out of It by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
BCG Board Certification: Your Questions Answered with LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
Busted, Bankrupt, Banged Up: Stories in Federal Court Records by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
Introduction to the Daughters of the American Revolution Library by Elizabeth Ernst
…and throughout the week: 1) hands-on practice exercises dealing with many of the records we learn about, 2) each student signs up for a 20-minute personal session with a archival records specialist, 3) one each personal military consultation with specialist Jonathan Webb Deiss, and 4) each student is promised 2 record pulls (within reasonable limits!) once the Archives opens. (*sessions subject to change)

Please stay safe and well everyone. We hope to see you there!

Rebecca & Cinda

Update on Gen-Fed 2022

February 1, 2022

The big question in my emails all month has been “When does registration start for Gen-Fed 2022?”

The answer is: hopefully soon. The wave of different variants of the COVID virus and rates of inoculation have changed the dynamic this year, but it is still too soon to tell if we can have Gen-Fed in person at NARA in Washington D.C., or if we should hold it virtually. So we ask you to wait patiently with us a little more.

Updates to research room policies at NARA are found at https://www.archives.gov/coronavirus. If NARA does take a large group, we still do not know if they will take our full capacity of students (so we do not know how many yet to register if we go in person). If we are there in person, be prepared that the current NARA vaccination status rules state that researchers/students will have to be fully vaccinated and sign an attestation form. Or unvaccinated researchers/students must bring a negative COVID-19 test, see: https://www.archives.gov/research/news/faqs-research-room-reopenings.

We will do our next update and hopefully make a decision by President’s Day, February 21st. As with last year, if Gen-Fed is virtual this year, those who already have a seat will be allowed to defer to another year. Whatever does happen, we have the most amazing staff of instructors and archivists to make your learning a success.

Thank you,

Rebecca & Cinda

Gen-Fed Alumni Announces 2022 Scholarship

December 9, 2021

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) Alumni Association is sponsoring the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship in 2022. The Gen-Fed Alumni Association’s purpose is to promote, conduct, and foster education, research, study, and analysis related to genealogy and to disseminate information and support other similar undertakings.

The scholarship is awarded annually to an experienced researcher active in a paid or volunteer position which directly benefits the genealogical community. This year the scholarship will award $1000, which covers full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), and partly defrays hotel and/or meal costs. Provided the public health situation allows it, the Gen-Fed Alumni Association will also provide dinner at the Gen-Fed Alumni Banquet on Friday night, Aug 12, 2022, where a check for the amount less tuition will be presented to the recipient.

Nancy Calhoun, our 2017 scholarship recipient says, “Receiving the Lackey Scholarship has not only benefited me but also the genealogy and local history staff at Muskogee Public Library and the patrons we assist. We never know what people are going to request. The training received will assist us in being better equipped to search out that information in the vast collections of National Archives.”

For more information about the Institute, visit www.gen-fed.org. The application can be downloaded from the Scholarships page.

All applications and additional attachments must be submitted in PDF format, combined in one file. The completed application form and attachments should be emailed to Jonathan

Deiss at jdeiss@soldiersource.com with “Lackey Scholarship 2022” in the subject line. The PDF file name should include your last name and first initial, such as “DoeJ Lackey Scholarship 2022 Application.”

A complete application must be received by midnight, (EST) 31 December 2021. The winner will be notified by 15 February 2022. Other applicants will be notified shortly after that date. 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 Aug 8–13, 2022.

Cinda Baxter, CG, Announced as New Gen-Fed Assistant Director

October 20, 2021

Following a successful first institute thanks in great deal to her wonderful talents, Darcie Hind Posz, CG^®, will step down as Assistant Director to Gen-Fed. We want to express our sincere and deep appreciation for Darcie and support her decisions moving forward.

Having met today, the Board of the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) and Director, Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG^®, CGL^SM, are pleased to announce that Cinda Baxter, CG^®, will serve as the newest Assistant Director of the institute, effective immediately.

As a Minneapolis-based genealogist, Cinda Baxter, CG, earned board certification in 2019, and has been an avid proponent of continuing genealogical education since attending her first institute—Gen-Fed—in 2017.

She is a Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate alumnus (OL25) and has served as a Course Facilitator for both the BU Certificate and BU Principles courses; an alumnus of ProGen 38 and Mentor for ProGen 53; Website Coordinator for the Board for Certification of Genealogists^® (BCG); and was Virtual Technical Coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG 2021 and SLIG Academy for Professionals 2021). She is currently engaged in post-graduate study at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, Scotland) for Genealogical, Palaeographic, and Heraldic Studies, and midway through the process of earning accreditation through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen), specializing in Scotland research.

Of her experience with this institute Cinda stated, “Beyond the one-of-a-kind education provided by Gen-Fed, that week served as an introduction to a broad spectrum of peers who were as excited about research as me. The freedom with which they shared their ideas, advice, laughter, enthusiasm, and (much deeper) experience was the noodge I needed to make a massive—and never regretted—career change.”

Her passions beyond the genealogical realm include technology, fountain pens and lovely inks, growing African violets and streptocarpus, sourdough bread baking, knitting, and—of course—a wee dram of lightly peated Scottish whisky with a nibble of dark chocolate on the side.

Welcome, Cinda, Gen-Fed is in good hands with you in its future!