Robert Warner and his Fight for Independence of Archives

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the life and work of the 6th Archivist of the U.S.A. R. M. Warner, his struggle for the independence of the National Archives of the USA from the United States General Services Administration, the events of XXI International Conference of the Round Table on Archives, CITRA, (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), that was held in a complex international setting during the Lebanon War in 1982. Defending the State of Israel’s right to participate in the conference, R. M. Warner proved that the International Council on Archives is a professional organization of archivists around the world and cannot be subjected to political influence. A leading role in the personality of the head of the Archives is played by vocational education, which allows them to understand the essence of things, to experience all the facets of the problems of his profession and the field, which they manage. Gained experience is also very important, not only in the professional area, but also in the area of historical and archival science. Of course, the leader must possess personal communication skills and a certain charisma. The most important criterion of the head of the Archives is their non-participation in political parties and radical religious movements. Robert Warner met all these requirements. Not many would dare to risk their careers and confront the powers that be in upholding the principle of «archives out of politics». The author also focuses on the key figures of the described events – the archivists of Israel, the Soviet Union and Malaysia.

Keywords

• robert warner
• us archivist
• national archives and record administration