Allen Weinstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Allen Weinstein
|
|
|---|---|
Allen Weinstein, Ninth Archivist of the United States
|
|
| 9th Archivist of the United States | |
| In office February 16, 2005 – December 19, 2008 |
|
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John W. Carlin |
| Succeeded by | Adrienne Thomas (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 1, 1937 New York, New York, United States |
| Died | June 18, 2015 (aged 77) Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States |
| Spouses | Diane Gilbert Sypolt (divorced), Adrienne Dominguez |
| Children | David Weinstein, Andrew Weinstein, Alex Content (stepson) |
| Parents | Samuel Weinstein, Sarah Popkov |
| Occupation | Senior Strategist for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Professor and former Archivist of the States |
| Awards | United Nations Peace Medal (1986), Council of Europe's Silver Medal (1990, 1996) |
Allen Weinstein (born September 1, 1937 – died June 18, 2015) was an American historian, teacher, and government official. He held many important jobs during his life. In 1983, he helped start the National Endowment for Democracy under President Ronald Reagan. He also served as the Archivist of the United States from 2005 to 2008. After leaving that role, he worked as a senior strategist for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and taught at the University of Maryland.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Allen Weinstein was born in New York City in 1937. He was the youngest of three children. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants who owned delis in the Bronx and Queens.
He went to DeWitt Clinton High School. Later, he graduated from City College of New York. He then earned a Ph.D. (a high-level university degree) in American studies from Yale University.
Career Highlights
Professor and Editor
Allen Weinstein taught at Smith College from 1966 to 1981. For a short time in 1981, he worked for The Washington Post newspaper. He was also an executive editor for The Washington Quarterly from 1981 to 1983.
In 1981, he became a professor at Georgetown University. He taught there until 1984. He also served on U.S. delegations for UNESCO conferences in 1982 and 1983. From 1985 to 1989, he was a history professor at Boston University. After his time as Archivist, he taught history at the University of Maryland in 2009.
During his teaching career, Weinstein received special awards. These included two Senior Fulbright Lectureships and fellowships from important research centers.
Helping with International Elections
In 1985, Weinstein started The Center for Democracy. He was its president until 2003. Then, it joined with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).
Senators Lugar and Pell asked him to help with elections in the Philippines in 1986. His group watched the election process closely. President Ronald Reagan also asked him to keep monitoring the elections. The Center for Democracy wrote the official report for the U.S. Observer Delegation. They also worked with President Aquino's government on election rules.
As president of the Center, he led teams to observe elections in other countries. These included El Salvador (1991), Nicaragua (1989–90, 1996), Panama (1988–89), and Russia (1991, 1996, 2000). After his organization merged with IFES, he worked there as a senior adviser. He returned to IFES in 2009.
For his work in international elections, Allen Weinstein received special honors. He got the United Nations Peace Medal in 1986. He also received the Council of Europe's Silver Medal in 1990 and 1996.
Board and Advisory Roles
Weinstein was a founding member of the board of directors for the United States Institute of Peace in 1985. He stayed on the board until 2001. He also helped start the International Institute for Democracy in Strasbourg from 1989 to 2001.
He led the judging panel for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award from 1995 to 2003. He also served on advisory councils for the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. He chaired the advisory council for the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library. From 1993 to 1998, he chaired the "Global Panel" in the Netherlands.
Later Life
Allen Weinstein passed away on June 18, 2015, at age 77. He died from pneumonia in a nursing home in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He had been suffering from Parkinson's disease.
His Legacy
Historical Research
In 1970, Allen Weinstein began studying the Alger Hiss case for a book. This case involved a government official accused of being a secret agent. At first, Weinstein thought Hiss was innocent.
Weinstein did a lot of research. He interviewed former Soviet intelligence officers. He also used the Freedom of Information Act to get thousands of pages of files from the FBI and CIA. Hiss himself also helped Weinstein, giving him interviews and access to legal files. After looking at all the information, Weinstein changed his mind. He then believed Hiss was guilty.
His book, Perjury: The Hiss–Chambers Case, was published in 1978. It caused some discussion because his findings were different from what many people believed.
Many other historians and scholars supported Weinstein's careful research. For example, historian Eduard Mark said that Weinstein's work, especially his book The Haunted Wood (co-written with Alexander Vassiliev), greatly changed how people studied Soviet secret activities in the United States.
Work at the National Archives
As the Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein made important changes. David Ferriero, another National Archivist, highlighted some of Weinstein's achievements:
- He helped restore public trust in the Archives. He did this by making more government documents public.
- He started the National Declassification Initiative. This program aimed to improve how secret documents are reviewed and released.
- He expanded public access to historical records. This included creating the Digital Vaults and the Boeing Learning Center with the Foundation for the National Archives.
- He created the "First Preservers" program. This program helps protect important government records.
