Dr. Pearl Ponce, a native of Ithaca Island, was selected to oversee a national document of immense historical value.
Mr. Ponce was recently appointed director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas and will lead the planning, oversight and management of the library's programs and activities starting June 2, the statement said.
The Bush Library is one of 15 presidential library systems operated by the National Archives and Records Administration, representing presidents from former President Herbert Hoover to Donald J. Trump.
“Presidential Libraries provide an important framework to better understand the complexity of our democracy and the decisions that shape our nation,” U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan said in a statement. He said this when announcing Mr. Ponce's appointment. “Her deep knowledge of the presidency and foreign relations, as well as her passion for American democracy, make her an excellent steward of the George W. Bush Library and a strong voice for archival research and public engagement.” ”
What will Ponce leave behind at Ithaca College?
Ponce is currently a professor of history at Ithaca College.
Ms. Ponce will miss her Ithaca College students and colleagues, but this role gives her the unique opportunity she sought to engage with the public while fully integrating her own interests. He said he was deaf.
Presidential libraries and museums are repositories for the papers and records of each administration, preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and provide interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire, according to a statement from the administration. create things.
At Ithaca College, Ponce served as dean of the history department and helped navigate the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She teaches courses in U.S. history and has published research on the presidency, governance and democracy, the exercise of federal power, and territorial systems.
She is the author of “Reigning the Devil in Hell: The Political Crisis of Kansas Territory” and editor of “Kansas War: The Civil War in Documents.”
Her latest project, “'Strange Terrorism': The fraying of federal power and democracy in Utah, Washington, and Kansas Territory in the 1850s,” reportedly showcases the breadth of her research.
Ithaca College President and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Melanie Stein congratulated Mr. Ponce, saying he is extremely qualified for this position.
“She is a respected scholar of American history with a deep understanding of the mission of presidential libraries and the critical need to preserve and make accessible archival materials,” Stein said in a statement.
