Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 23F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph..
Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 23F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Updated: January 17, 2022 @ 10:13 pm
Salem, Massachusetts
David Ferriero, a Beverly native, is retiring in April from his post as archivist of the United States.
Ferriero, appointed by President Barack Obama to be Archivist of the United States in 2009, made his first trip back to Beverly High School in 2014 after graduating from the school 51 years ago.
National Archivist David Ferriero tours Beverly High School with seniors Alex Walsh, Zach Bauer and Kara Doherty, all 17, during his return to the school in 2014.
President of the USS Constitution Museum Anne Grimes Rand, left, and Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, right, examine historic representations of the USS Constitution at the museum, in Charlestown, on Oct. 13, 2010. Ferriero brought documents from the National Archives in Washington, D.C., that detail the claims of five different communities each stating that theirs is the birthplace of the U.S. Navy.
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David Ferriero, a Beverly native, is retiring in April from his post as archivist of the United States.
Ferriero, appointed by President Barack Obama to be Archivist of the United States in 2009, made his first trip back to Beverly High School in 2014 after graduating from the school 51 years ago.
National Archivist David Ferriero tours Beverly High School with seniors Alex Walsh, Zach Bauer and Kara Doherty, all 17, during his return to the school in 2014.
President of the USS Constitution Museum Anne Grimes Rand, left, and Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, right, examine historic representations of the USS Constitution at the museum, in Charlestown, on Oct. 13, 2010. Ferriero brought documents from the National Archives in Washington, D.C., that detail the claims of five different communities each stating that theirs is the birthplace of the U.S. Navy.
BEVERLY — The retirement of the archivist of the United States would not normally count as big news on the local level. But it does when it comes to David Ferriero.
Ferriero, who announced his resignation on Thursday, grew up in Beverly and graduated from Beverly High School in 1963. He went on to a long career as a librarian, capped by his appointment by President Barack Obama in 2009 as the 10th archivist of the United States.
The role means that Ferriero is the head of the National Archives and Records Administration, the federal agency that maintains and preserves more than 13 billion pages of text, 10 million maps, charts and drawings, and 44 million photographs and images, and is the keeper of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
A press release announcing that Ferriero, 76, will retire in April featured quotes about him from no less than President Joe Biden and Obama.
“Jill and I send heartfelt congratulations to Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero on the announcement of his retirement,” Biden said. “Since his confirmation as Archivist in 2009, David has served with distinction, working closely with sitting and former presidents, and across the federal government, to ensure that our nation’s story is preserved and made available to future generations of Americans. From the administration of presidential libraries to undertaking initiatives to promote broader access to the Archives, David’s important work will benefit generations of Americans for decades to come.”
Obama credited Ferriero with guiding the National Archives “into the 21st century, and our democracy is stronger as a result.”
“David knows better than anyone that good recordkeeping is the backbone of open government, and under his leadership the National Archives was able to give these records new life through increased access and engagement with the American people,” Obama said. “Thanks to his dedication, we are better equipped to draw from our past as we work to forge a brighter future. Michelle and I wish David and his family the best as they embark on this next chapter.”
Ferriero said in the press release that his time at the National Archives gave him the opportunity to “bring openness, access, and inclusion to the agency.”
“Working with such gifted and talented staff who are dedicated to preserving our nation’s records and its heritage has been a great honor and the highlight of my career,” he said. “It is with gratitude for the staff at the National Archives, especially my management team, that I have pride in what we have all accomplished together.”
After graduating from Beverly High School, Ferriero earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature from Northeastern University and a master’s degree from the Simmons College of Library and Information Science. He served as a Navy hospital corpsman during the Vietnam War.
Ferriero held top positions at academic libraries at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Duke University, then became director of the New York Public Libraries before being appointed by Obama to head the National Archives. He became the first librarian to be named archivist of the United States.
Ferriero stayed in touch with his hometown in various ways. In 2008, when he was in New York City, he read a story in The Salem News about a 10-year-old Salem boy who went door-to-door to raise thousands of dollars to save Salem school librarians. Ferriero sent the boy a letter commending his efforts and inviting him to visit the New York Public Library.
In 2010, Ferriero spoke at the USS Constitution Museum in Charlestown on the subject of whether Beverly or Marblehead should be considered the birthplace of the American Navy. In 2014, he spoke to students at Beverly High School, where librarian Barb Fecteau called him “the king of all librarians in America.”
Deputy Archivist Debra Steidel Wall will serve as acting archivist of the United States until Biden nominates and the U.S. Senate confirms Ferriero’s successor.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
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