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Robert M. Warner

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert M. Warner
Robert M. Warner, Sixth Archivist of the United States
6th Archivist of the United States
In office
July 24, 1980 – April 15, 1985
PresidentJimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
Preceded byJames E. O'Neill
Succeeded byFrank G. Burke
Personal details
Born(1927-06-28)June 28, 1927
Montrose, Colorado, U.S.
DiedApril 24, 2007(2007-04-24) (aged 79)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Michigan

Robert Mark Warner (June 28, 1927 – April 24, 2007) was an American historian who served as the Sixth Archivist of the United States at the National Archives, from July 24, 1980, to April 15, 1985.[1]

Early life

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Born in Montrose, Colorado, he graduated from South High School in Denver, Colorado, in 1945. He then earned a bachelor's degree at Muskingum College in 1949 and a Ph.D. in American history in 1958 from the University of Michigan.

Career

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He was third director of the Michigan Historical Collections before taking the federal job.

The National Archives, founded in 1934, had been part of the General Services Administration since 1949 and was controlled by political appointees. During his term, he was elected president of the Society of American Archivists, and served in that position from 1976 to 1977.[2] As Archivist, Warner pushed for institutional independence for the archives. Charles McC. Mathias and Thomas F. Eagleton introduced legislation that turned the Archives into the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in 1985.

That year, Warner returned to the University of Michigan, eventually becoming Dean of the School of Information and Library Science. The NARA Robert M. Warner Research Center is named in his honor.[3]

Death

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He died in Ann Arbor, Michigan, of a heart attack on April 24, 2007, after battling cancer for a year.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Press release (April 27, 2007). Robert M. Warner, Sixth Archivist of the United States Died April 24, 2007. via National Archives
  2. ^ "SAA Presidents". Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  3. ^ Press release ( May 20, 2005). National Archives Names New Research Center For Former Archivist of the United States Robert M. Warner. via National Archives
  4. ^ Abruzzese, Sarah (3 May 2007). "Robert M. Warner, 79, the National Archivist, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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Government offices
Preceded by Archivist of the United States
1980–1985
Succeeded by