The African American Museum, Dallas today announced major funding support from the State of Texas and Google to preserve and digitize the Museum’s extensive collection gathered over the institution’s 50-year history. The Texas Historical Commission has awarded a $3 million grant, alongside support from Google, to launch a long-term commitment to safeguarding the material collected by the museum over its 50-year history.

These funds will help enhance the accessibility of the Museum’s collections and strengthen the Museum’s role as a vital resource for education and research for the Dallas community and beyond. The Museum’s collection—spanning fine art, folk art, decorative arts, archival materials, and artifact – features work by renowned artists such as Romare Bearden, Clementine Hunter, Mose Tolliver, Reverend Johnnie Swearingen, among others, and archeological materials from The Freedman’s Cemetery.

“This investment is about more than just conservation,” said Margie Johnson Reese, MFA, Chief Program Officer of the African American Museum, Dallas. “It’s about making history accessible to a global audience. We are thrilled to work with the Texas Historical Commission and Google to preserve the works of art and the historical documents in our care.  It is our responsibility to ensure that this irreplaceable material  will endure to educate and inspire current and future generations.”

Currently, portions of the collection are stored in non-climate-controlled facilities, leaving them vulnerable to environmental damage. The funds will ensure the collection’s long-term survival while making it more widely available to the public.

“Google is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we operate, and we welcome opportunities to support the sharing of powerful stories,” said Traci Thomason, Global Community Development Strategy Manager at Google. “By working with the African American Museum, Dallas, we are proud to be part of the effort to ensure that this rich cultural history remains available to inspire and educate people around the world.”

The museum’s extensive collection showcases significant historical documents, including early Dallas-based African American newspapers and rare photographs and papers from influential leaders such as Juanita Craft, Mamie McKnight and the late U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.

Among the highlights are 40,000-plus images from Sepia magazine, a nationally recognized photojournalistic publication that chronicled African American life and culture for decades. The collection captures the power, pride and progress of a generation, featuring striking images of government leaders like Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and U.N. Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young; civil rights icons Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X; and legendary entertainers including Aretha Franklin, Cicely Tyson and Ray Charles.

The following announcement was written by Othram:

On April 30, 2009, human remains were discovered in a field near Meadows Elementary School in Lacey, Washington. The remains were determined to be skeletal and were found with Levi’s jeans, boxer shorts, and knee-high white athletic socks bearing a green Nike logo. Despite the recovery of clothing and the application of traditional forensic methods, authorities were unable to identify the unknown man. A DNA profile was developed and searched in CODIS, but no matches were found. The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP8888 on June 29, 2011, and remained open.

In February 2025, Thurston County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with the King County Medical Examiner's Office submitted skeletal remains from the unknown man to Othram, in The Woodlands, Texas a forensic sequencing laboratory specializing in human identification from the most challenge forensic inputs, such as degraded skeletal remains. Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a high-resolution DNA profile suitable for forensic genetic genealogical research. The profile was then delivered to Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team, which conducted the necessary forensic matching to identify potential relatives of the unknown individual. 

Critical funding to enable forensic genetic genealogy testing in this case was made possible by Governor Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and the Washington State Legislature. We are so grateful for their support in providing this funding.

A follow up investigation by law enforcement ultimately led to the identification of the unknown man as Donald Myrel Nelson. Born on April 18, 1960, Nelson had been reported missing to the Lacey Police Department in February 1989, just weeks before his 29th birthday. His family cooperated closely with investigators throughout the identification process and has been formally notified of the outcome. His disappearance had gone unresolved for over 35 years.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Nelson’s death. Authorities are asking that anyone with information related to his disappearance contact the unit directly at TCSOColdCase@co.thurston.wa.us, referencing case number 09-002677.

The following is an announcement written by AARP:

Genealogy offers a meaningful way to connect with family history and cultural heritage. This fall, AARP New York and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) are presenting two free programs that introduce the basics of researching Hispanic and Italian ancestry.

Discover Hispanic Genealogy

AARP New York and the NYG&B will host a session focused on Hispanic genealogy led by Luis Ariel Rivera. A Bronx native, Rivera has been researching his family’s Puerto Rican roots since 2004 and has worked in genealogy since 2020. His research includes Puerto Rico, Latin America, the Spanish and French Caribbean, and Western and Southern Europe. 

Register here: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/beginners-guide-hispanic-genealogy

• Location: NYG&B, 36 West 44th Street, Suite 711, New York, NY
• Also available live on Zoom
• Date: September 25, 2025
• Time: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Getting Started with Italian Genealogy

The second program will be led by Michael Cassara, a New York City–based genealogist and lecturer specializing in Italian and Sicilian family research, New York and New Jersey research, and genealogical technology. He has presented at national conferences including RootsTech, FGS, and OGS, as well as numerous local and regional societies. Cassara is the past president of the Italian Genealogical Group and currently serves as president of the Metropolitan Postcard Club.

Register here: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/italian-genealogy-michael-cassara

• Location: NYG&B, 36 West 44th Street, Suite 711, New York, NY
• Also available live on Zoom
• Date: October 20, 2025
• Time: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Both events are free and open to AARP members and guests. Whether you attend in person or online, these programs provide an opportunity to learn about family history research and explore cultural heritage.

Stay Connected with AARP New York:
Discover more events and opportunities to engage with AARP New York and your community by visiting aarp.org/local.

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The following was written by Sarah Weicksel, Executive Director of the American Historical Association and sent to Governor Kim Reynolds opposing the planned closure of the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) Research Center in Iowa City, which collects, preserves, and provides access to thousands of historical records, images, and objects created and used by Iowans throughout the state’s history:

August 28, 2025

Governor Kim Reynolds
Des Moines, Iowa

Dear Gov. Reynolds:

The American Historical Association expresses deep concern over the planned closure of the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) Research Center in Iowa City. At this research center, the SHSI collects, preserves, and provides access to thousands of historical records, images, and objects created and used by Iowans throughout the state’s history. Local access to these materials is vital to both historians and the public. I write on behalf of the AHA to urge Iowa officials to prevent the closure of this facility and to allocate adequate funding to the SHSI to maintain the building and to manage, expand, and provide access to its collections. Doing so is essential to the continued preservation of, and access to, Iowa’s history.

The collections preserved in the SHSI, which was established in 1857, are essential to how Iowans learn about their individual and collective pasts. Genealogists, students, historians, journalists: all require access to these collections to participate in the documentation and practical use of their state’s past. Situated at the edge of the University of Iowa campus, the SHSI is used daily by students, faculty, and members of the public, all of whom rely upon not only the collections of the SHSI, but also on the expertise of its staff.

The decision to close the research center has been made without sufficient public input and without concrete plans for conserving, preserving, and providing continued access to the entirety of the SHSI’s collections. We urge Iowa officials to halt the planned closure and to undertake a full review of the needs of the SHSI and the communities it serves. Such a review must include input from various stakeholders, among them historians, educators, museum professionals, archivists, and other members of the public.

Future generations rely upon public officials to defend the institutions that preserve our heritage and to support programs that promote history education and public interest in the past. The SHSI’s collections are a vital resource for Iowans to understand their history. The planned closure places those collections and the history they preserve at risk.

The American Historical Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1884 and incorporated by the United States Congress in 1889 for the promotion of historical studies and the dissemination of historical research. As a disciplinary association representing more than 10,700 historians, including Iowans, we support and encourage Iowa’s efforts to be a responsible steward of the state’s important historic resources. If there are ways in which the AHA can be of assistance as the state considers the future of the SHSI Research Center and its collections, please contact us.

Sincerely,

Sarah Weicksel
Executive Director

cc: State Archivist Anthony Jahn
SHSI Administrator Valerie Van Kooten

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

Japanese Instrument of Surrender Now on Display at the National Archives Museum 80 Years Since the End of World War II, featuring the Japanese Instrument of Surrender is now on display at the National Archives Museum’s historic Rotunda as part of the museum’s Featured Document series. This record, along with an Imperial Japanese Reprint, will be on display beginning today, August 28, 2025, through September 30, 2025. Timed entry tickets are encouraged but not required. To learn more about the museum and see all exhibits currently on display, visit the National Archives Museum website. The Instrument of Surrender that secured an unconditional surrender of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and all Japanese armed forces to the Allied Powers and ended World War II. NAID: 1752336 The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom On August 28, 1963 a quarter million people came to the nation’s capital to petition the government in a demonstration known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Frustrated by the inaction of a gridlocked Congress, the marchers called for Congress to pass the Civil Rights bill and featured the iconic “I Have A Dream" speech by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While the March did not immediately change the balance of power in Congress in support of civil rights, it did accomplish two very important things. First, it prompted many Americans to reconsider their perspective on the Civil Rights Movement. Second, it reaffirmed the strength of American liberal institutions. For many Americans, the confirmation that our nation and government institutions were resilient enough to withstand a non–violent mass protest on a deeply divisive issue was reason enough to hope for democracy to prevail. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington. NAID: 237616620 Last Chance to See the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum Visitors have until September 2, 2025 to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, as this world-class exhibition comes to a close. This exhibit features eight authentic Dead Sea Scrolls and more than 200 artifacts from the Second Temple period. Embark on this unforgettable journey through history before it's gone! To purchase tickets and learn more about what you will see on display, visit the Reagan Library and Museum website. A visitor looks at the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

 

In the Columbus State University archive, a hallway is filled with dozens of boxes. According to the school’s archivist and it’s military history chair, those boxes could hold some of the most historically significant military documents from the post-Vietnam War era.

Earlier this summer, CSU acquired 20 pallets worth of documents and materials from the longest serving Secretary of the Army John “Jack” Marsh and military social worker James “Jim” Martin.

“To look into the papers of Jack Marsh or into Jim Martin’s papers is really to see the history of the Army over the past 30-, 40-, 50 years,” said Dr. David Kieran, CSU’s Richard R. Hallock distinguished chair in military history.

Though Kieran had seen a few of Marsh’s documents previously, the morning of Aug. 27 marked the first time he had an opportunity to glimpse the contents of some of the boxes since they arrived at the archive.

“Every box you open, you find something and see that it’s part of a larger story of the history of that institution, the transformation of that institution,” Kieran said.

It will be the job of CSU archivist David Owings, along with team of student helpers and a visiting military archivist, to sort through the multiple decades-worth of memos, photos, memorabilia and more.

Owings estimates it will take more than a year to catalogue, organize and digitize the contents. The team will also need to take time to redact personal information, like soldier social security numbers contained in the documents.

“It’s just an honor to have the privilege to be the stewards and caretakers of it,” Owings said. “To make sure that it’s open and available to the public and that it’s saved for future generations to look at.”

Now that they are at CSU, the documents are in a temperature-controlled environment. The archival team will also use preservation techniques to maintain the documents for future study.

According to Owings, the acquisition may be the biggest CSU’s archives has ever received. He said the undertaking is worth it.

“I think it’s such a huge part of our national history, national memory, national identity,” Owings explained.

A brief first look into the boxes revealed photos from across Marsh’s service, a speech recognizing 100 years since the death of Ulysses Grant and cassette tapes, one of them containing a speech he would have given to Fort Benning soldiers more than 30 years ago.

Martin’s documents are important for studying military culture and mental health, Kieran said. Some contain first-hand accounts of what soldiers experienced, their worries and other issues they may have faced.

“There’s really no parallel—certainly in the southeast, probably in Georgia, maybe not in the nation—to the history we’re able to tell here of the post-Vietnam Army,” Kieran said. “It’s thrilling to think about the possibilities of what we can do.”

The documents add to the growing collection of military history materials in CSU’s archive, including papers from Richard Hallock, the namesake for the school’s military history endowment.

Earlier this year MyHeritage introduced Cousin Finder™, which makes it easy to discover and connect with blood relatives on MyHeritage — no DNA test required. Since launch, it’s quickly become a favorite among family history enthusiasts for uncovering long-lost relatives and strengthening family connections.  Now the company is excited to share that there’s a major update: you can now view Cousin Finder™ results not only for yourself, but for any individual in your family tree. That means you can run it for a great-grandparent, a spouse, or even a more distant relative and see their list of cousins, how they’re related, and opportunities to connect. This update makes Cousin Finder™ even more powerful: Discover blood relatives tied to a specific ancestor or family member Learn exactly how they’re related to that person Complement DNA Matches by finding cousins who haven’t tested Zero in on the most relevant Smart Matches™ through a simpler, more focused view The feature is free to use, available from any profile page in the family tree, and already generating enthusiastic feedback from users. You can read more about it in the MyHeritage blog.

Using genetic genealogy, investigators recently identified the decomposed remains of a man found in a wooded area in 2020.

In May 2020, the Knoxville Police Department reached out to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center to help investigate a deceased person found near a home. Authorities noted the remains were in an "advanced stage of decomposition."

According to genetic genealogy company Othram Inc., the man, who they believe was between 55 and 70 years old, was found with pieces of clothing, and authorities said his cause and manner of death were undetermined. Officials reportedly compared multiple missing persons reports to find a match, but the case went cold.

The remains were submitted to Othram in 2023. According to the forensic center, earlier this month, Othram scientists developed information suggesting the deceased man had family members in Michigan. Relatives reportedly said they hadn’t seen him in 22 years, and they provided a DNA sample. Further testing helped investigators positively identify the remains as Gerald Forsman’s.

According to Othram, Forsman was originally from Michigan and lived in Knoxville. Investigators haven’t determined when he disappeared.

The Nicodemus Historical Society is proud to announce recent leadership and staffing updates as part of its continued efforts to preserve and uplift the legacy of one of the nation’s most historically significant Black town established during the Reconstruction era.

Dr. Ashley C. Adams now serves as president of the Nicodemus Historical Society Board. 

A Nicodemus descendant and nationally respected public policy scholar, Adams brings over a decade of research and leadership experience in African American genealogy, descendant engagement, and reparative preservation planning. She previously served as board secretary beginning in 2016. 

Her long-standing research on Nicodemus has produced several scholarly publications, and her forthcoming manuscript, Advancing Descendant Engagement in Nicodemus, Kansas: A Reparative Approach to Preservation and Stewardship, builds on her commitment to community-led preservation, healing, and education.

As part of its recent organizational restructuring, the Society also announces that Donna Rae Pearson is no longer serving in the role of Executive Director. The board thanks Ms. Pearson for her time with the organization and wishes her well in her future endeavors.

To support daily operations and long-term development, the Society has also welcomed two new team members:

Marilyn Gray, a Nicodemus descendant and retired administrator, has joined as the office manager. With years of experience supporting the Society’s work, Gray brings valuable organizational knowledge and deep community roots to her role. 

She currently provides part-time support in the Nicodemus Historical Society Museum and assists with hospitality at the Nicodemus National Historic Site visitor center. Her presence provides additional interpretive support for visitors and strengthens the organization’s commitment to descendant-led engagement.

Jessica Wright also joins as the Society’s new fundraising associate. A nationally recognized grant strategist, philanthropy consultant, and program analyst, Wright brings over 24 years of experience in nonprofit development, government contracting, and strategic planning. 

She has helped secure over $7.5 million in funding for grassroots and national initiatives focused on education, housing, and social justice. Her role at the Historical Society includes advancing fundraising, building partnerships, and supporting sustainable preservation efforts.

These new appointments reflect the Society’s renewed commitment to descendant leadership, strategic growth, and cultural preservation. 

Together with the Society’s Board of Directors, this team will continue the important work of safeguarding the historical legacy of Nicodemus and promoting a sustainable future for the community and its preservation efforts.

Across Arizona, people die without a name. Sometimes it can take authorities years to identify decedents, and sometimes not at all. It can be even more challenging when the decedents are unhoused.

For two cold cases in Maricopa and Yavapai Counties from 2006 and 2018, that was the challenge for county officials. With help of students and staff in the Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG), some 2,500 miles across the country in Mahwah, NJ, the identities of John Does have been confirmed.

Maricopa County

On May 24, 2006, a man was struck by a vehicle near Dunlap Road and the I-17 frontage road in Phoenix, AZ. He later died at the hospital, but not before providing a possible name, John Dradel. The spelling could not be verified before his death, leaving his possible name unconfirmed. He was estimated to be 50-70 years old at the time of his death.

The case was referred to the Ramapo College IGG Center in September of 2024 by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office (MCOME) after traditional means of identification did not yield a confirmed name. A blood card for Gradel was received by Genologue who then sent completed data to Parabon Nanolabs for bioinformatics on September 30. In October, a genotype profile was successfully created and uploaded to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA. The Maricopa Attorney General’s Office was also able to provide a potential date of birth for John Gradel, who was known to frequent homeless shelters in the area where he was struck.

A team of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists, all graduates of the Ramapo College IGG Certificate Program, built a family tree with all available data.The IGG team was able to identify a niece of the candidate Jon Gradl, who said Gradl had not been in contact with the family for years. The niece agreed to provide a reference sample, and her DNA led to Gradl’s identity being confirmed by MCOME in June of 2025, bringing closure to this eight-year old cold case.

Yavapai County

The remains of Verde River John Doe were found March 22, 2018 in Yavapai County, AZ. The man was found inside of a sleeping bag after a flood. He was believed to be an unhoused transient person based on the items found with him.

The case was referred to the IGG Center by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office and the Yavapai County Medical Examiner’s Office in August of 2023 after traditional means of identification did not yield a candidate. In October of 2023, Doe’s femur was sent to Intermountain Forensics for DNA extraction, whole genome sequencing, and bioinformatics. In May of 2024, the genotype profile was uploaded to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA. In June, students in the IGG Center Bootcamp Program developed a potential candidate, Ronald Raymond Tate, born in San Bernardino, CA.

Tate’s sister, his only living full sibling, was also an unhoused individual. Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office worked with community resources to connect with the woman. She agreed to a DNA test that confirmed Tate’s identity one year later in June of 2025.

Identifying the deceased who were homeless can be difficult. Finding reliable public records and information for people who do not have identification on their persons, who cannot be connected to an address or phone number, who are not in touch with their families or on social media, make developing leads even more challenging. This is where IGG technology, which combines traditional and genetic genealogy and relies on informed consent and publicly available data to provide investigative leads, can help make unknown decedents known again.

“Only the DNA brought us to what we know about these individuals today,” said Cairenn Binder, assistant director of the Ramapo College IGG Center and director of the IGG Certificate Program. 

To learn more about Ramapo College and the IGG Center, please visit ramapo.edu.