Mr. Lorenz has written for several publications, has hosted documentaries for the BBC, and is a buyer for two video companies. The Potomac valley to the east and west of the Capitol presents a panorama of beauty, history and interesting communities that can bring the hectic life within the Beltway into better perspective and focus. Also part of the Potomac story is federal and state involvement from the days of George Washington and The Mt. Vernon Conference to present day ownership and governmental protection of the shoreline. Students will be responsible for making their own arrangements for field trips. Gilbert Gude was the director of the Congressional Research Service.
Early registration is encouraged as enrollment is limited.
Basic Sources and Principles, which addressed the fundamental use of oral lore, material culture, and public and private records for researching and writing family history. This course explores in greater depth those foundation resources available at the Library of Congress and the National Archives, and introduces other materials that add fascinating biographical detail to family history, including non-population censuses, county and federal court records, U.S. passport applications, homestead files, Civil War Income Tax records, Appointments of Postmasters, cartographic materials, and more. Various research strategies are demonstrated using specific, real-life sample cases, and the course concludes with a description of how to assemble several years worth of discoveries into a family history book that is both a reliable document and a readable story for future generations. John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., a professional genealogist, conducts workshops for the National Archives, teaches courses for the Smithsonian Institution, and lectures nationally. His publications include two manuals They Came in Ships and Finding Italian Roots and numerous articles.