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The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) 2017, held July 10–14 at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., proved every bit as successful as the historic institute’s updated 2016 session. Attendees agreed that the week met their genealogical educational needs and even exceeded expectations. As one participant said, the institute provided “invaluable information regarding the breadth of holdings at the Archives and how to access them, but also served to develop more general skills of problem-solving and looking beyond the ‘usual’ records.”

The Class of 2017 experienced moments like this:

“While going through over a dozen land entry file records for my ancestors, I was able to come across a couple of letters written in their own hand. How amazing it was to hold a document created over 150 years ago by my 3rd-great-grandfather!”

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

The next Institute is set for July 16–July 20, 2018. Online registration will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2018.  To receive news about next year’s program and announcements, enter your email address in the “subscribe” box on the bottom right of the institute website, https://www.gen-fed.org.

 

 

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Research Alumni Association (Gen-Fed Alumni) announces, with great pleasure, the recipient of the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship for 2017, Nancy Calhoun. Awarded yearly, this scholarship covers tuition and some other expenses for the week long seminar, 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.”

Nancy Calhoun is the Department Head of Genealogy and Local History at Muskogee Public Library in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where the staff provides research assistance with particular focus on Native American genealogy. She frequently speaks for societies and other groups in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas, often in period dress and with baked goods in hand made from historic recipes. Her writings have placed in the annual contests held by the International Association of Family History Writers and Editors. She was the recipient of the librarian scholarship to attend IGHR.

Nancy’s genealogy journey began at her grandfather’s knee as he told stories of his family in southwest Virginia. While in Teacher Corps and graduate school in Kansas, she enrolled in a semester long genealogy class and has been chasing family, both her own and others’, since that time. For Nancy, genealogy is the “perfect combination” with her educational training in history, English, photography, vocational home economics, curriculum and instruction and 20 years of newspaper experience.

Nancy has attended several NGS and FGS national conferences, in addition to many regional educational events. “My last trip to DC was during college and before catching the genealogy bug. So I am excited to have the opportunity to delve into the mother lode this summer and learn how to access records for our library patrons from Revolutionary War to Indian Territory’s tribal records … and maybe a little for myself.”

The Gen-Fed Alumni Association is pleased to award the 2017 Richard Lackey Scholarship to Nancy Calhoun; her enthusiasm is catching.

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Registration for Gen-Fed took place on Saturday, February 25. Enrollment is currently at capacity but the waiting list is open here.

 

Online registration for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records, held yesterday, was over in a flash. Enrollment reached capacity in eight minutes, but the waiting list is still relatively short. We highly recommend adding your name, particularly if you can be flexible or live within commuting distance of Washington, D.C.

Those who registered hail from 22 different states and will write the next Tales of Discovery in federal records.  We look forward to welcoming them to the second installment of the new version of the oldest genealogical institute in the country.

Check out the 2017 program here. You can put your name on a waiting list here.

Malissa & Debra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Updated April 18, 2017]

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records has announced its 2017 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 10–14, 2017. Among those presenting are NARA staff members, current and retired, and expert genealogists, researchers, historians, and librarians from a variety of backgrounds. The Innovation Hub at NARA-DC, located within the Robert M. Warner Research Center on the first floor, offers proximity to archivists and records and serves as the institute’s home base. more “Gen-Fed Program for 2017 Released” …

Attending a week-long institute is among the best educational investments a professional genealogist can make. But the cost of tuition, transportation, and accommodations can wipe out a budding professional’s business account in one fell swoop.  Budgeting for Gen-Fed—held in Washington, DC, in July, at the height of tourist season—is especially challenging.

Ancestry’s AncestryProGenealogists Scholarship Program, new for 2017, will cover tuition, round-trip airfare and hotel expenses for Gen-Fed, one of four institutes included, for a qualified applicant who “demonstrates a commitment to genealogy as a profession, a desire for professional development, and the ability to communicate that commitment and desire in writing.”

This is an exciting and valuable opportunity for those who want to deepen their understanding of federal records for the benefit of their clients. Don’t delay! Applications are due December 31, 2016.

For more information and rules: https://www.progenealogists.com/scholarship

We thank Ancestry and AncestryProGenealogists for including Gen-Fed as one of the covered institutes and for their commitment to the genealogical community!

 

The Richard S. Lackey 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 $600, which covers full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), and partly defrays hotel and/or meal cost.  The Gen-Fed Alumni Association will also provide meal coverage at the Gen-Fed Alumni Banquet on Friday night, July 14, 2017, where a check for the amount less tuition will be presented to the recipient.

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 Angela McGhie at mcghiefamilyhistory@gmail.com with “Lackey Scholarship 2017” in the subject line. The PDF file should include your last name and first initial, such as “McGhieA Lackey Scholarship 2017 Application.”

A complete application must be received by midnight 15 December 2016.  The winner will be notified by 15 February 2017.  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 July 10-14, 2017.

“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.