The PEP has created a set of videos on the histories of three federal agencies: the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Each uses rare archival videos and images to tell an important and unique story from the agency’s history. To learn more about these and other federal agencies, see the PEP’s database of history pages from almost 250 departments, commissions, offices, and independent agencies. The PEP is also reaching out to educational organizations with blog posts and contributions to newsletters and other publications. See below our post on the National Council for History Education blog.
History of the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Meet Hardy the Beagle, a trained detector dog with the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service! Hardy and his fellow trained dogs protect us from the accidental import of plant and animal pests and disease. In this video, learn more about the how the federal agency APHIS began and how it helps keep us safe.
U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: Short History
This condensed history of the APHIS was originally intended to promote the longer video and is based entirely on it. We invite you to view each video and see which one you consider the more appealing interpretation of that history.
History and Your Federal Government: the EPA in the 1970s
This is an engaging and thought-provoking snapshot of the Environmental Protection Agency as it saw itself in its crusading early years, featuring content from the inaugural issue of the EPA Journal and the EPA’s massive photographic project “Documerica.”
The Three Mile Island Crisis in 1979 (as told by Historian J. Samuel Walker)
The partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in 1979 remains the most significant accident in the history of U.S. nuclear power. Former historian for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), J. Samuel Walker, describes how senior NRC employee Harold Denton successfully led efforts to defuse the crisis. The video is enhanced with numerous fascinating historical photographs. U.S. Senate Historian Emeritus Don Ritchie conducted the interview.
The Public Education Project works with The National Council for History Education
The National Council for History Education (NCHE) has proven to be a valuable partner during the first year of PEP’s work. After a briefing about the HISTORY@FEDGOV portal, they included a short promotional article about it, and a link to it in their “History Matters” membership newsletter in December 2020, January 2021, and February 2021. The text of the piece, written by their Education Coordinator, included mention of the PEP:
“Did you know that the federal government agencies have history offices that provide resources for the public? The Society for History in the Federal Government is a group of mostly federally employed historians, curators, and archivists. They have created a portal for people interested in history to explore the trove of resources available to the public that can be used to better understand the rich history of the federal government agencies! Protip: Give yourself some time; these resources are amazing.“
Then, in late February 2021, they featured a blog post by Lee Ann Potter entitled “Adventures in Federal History” on their public website. And, they highlighted the blog in their March 2021 “History Matters” Newsletter.
We look forward to continued collaboration!