Historic Ceremonies and Events

Images of official ceremonies featuring speakers at various events, showcasing a formal atmosphere with attentive audiences and historical landmarks.

Preserve America Presidential Awards event at the White House, with Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairman John Nau III providing the introduction and First Lady Laura Bush announcing awards to the African Burial Ground project (resulting in the African Burial Ground National Monument) in New York City, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City, the Corinth and Alcorn County, Mississippi Heritage Tourism Initiative, and the Historic Courthouse Preservation Program in Texas

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at ceremony in Cheyenne, Wyoming, marking the designation of the Union Pacific Railroad Depot, the last of the 19th Century depots remaining on the transcontinental railroad, as a National Historic Landmark

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at Cheyenne, Wyoming ceremony marking the designation of the Union Pacific Railroad Depot as a National Historic Landmark

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at ceremony in Cheyenne, Wyoming, marking the designation of the Union Pacific Railroad Depot, the last of the 19th Century depots remaining on the transcontinental railroad, as a National Historic Landmark

Preserve America Presidential Awards, White House Rose Garden, Washington, D.C., honoring officials of The Mount, Lenox, Massachusetts; Texas Historic Trails; Bolduc Properties, Sainte Genevieve, Missouri; and the Isaiah Davenport House, Savannah, Georgia

Dedication ceremony for the new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, where Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joined Vice President Dick Cheney, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, Grand Teton Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott, and Susan Thomas, wife of the late Senator Craig Thomas, among the featured speakers

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at ceremony in Cheyenne, Wyoming, marking the designation of the Union Pacific Railroad Depot, the last of the 19th Century depots remaining on the transcontinental railroad, as a National Historic Landmark

Preserve America Presidential Awards event at the White House, with Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairman John Nau III providing the introduction and First Lady Laura Bush announcing awards to the African Burial Ground project (resulting in the African Burial Ground National Monument) in New York City, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City, the Corinth and Alcorn County, Mississippi Heritage Tourism Initiative, and the Historic Courthouse Preservation Program in Texas

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at ceremony in Cheyenne, Wyoming, marking the designation of the Union Pacific Railroad Depot, the last of the 19th Century depots remaining on the transcontinental railroad, as a National Historic Landmark

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at National Park Foundation event at the Phipps Mansion in Denver, Colorado, honoring Junior Ranger Program providing hands-on exploration and discovery opportunities for youth in National Parks across the country

Visit by Secretary Gale Norton to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for tour, with Independence National Park Superintendent Mary Bomar and other officials, of Chestnut Street area around Independence Hall, and for discussions on issue of reopening block closed to traffic since September, 2001 attacks on U.S

Former Secretary of Interior Stewart Udall appearing as guest of honor at Department of Interior headquarters events celebrating the contributions of the former Secretary and the late Congressman Morris Udall

Event honoring National Park Service (NPS) Randy Jones Leadership Fellows, with NPS Director Fran Mainella, Secretary's Chief of Staff Brian Waidmann, other senior Interior officials on hand at Main Interior

Activities at the National Park Service (NPS)-sponsored National Junior Ranger Day on the National Mall, Washington, D.C., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining NPS officials, volunteers, D.C. area schoolchildren and their families on hand

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at events marking the debut of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial traveling exhibit, Corps of Discovery II, at Monticello, Virginia

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, Mount Vernon, Virginia, for touring and announcement of the U.S. nomination of the George Washington home, along with the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaii, for inclusion on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) World Heritage List. Joining Secretary Kempthorne for the announcement was James Rees, Executive Director of the Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens.

Farewell gathering at Main Interior for Secretary Gale Norton, with presentations by Interior senior officials and unveiling of official painted portrait of Norton

Dedication of new memorial at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City, New York, with keynote address by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and presentations by dignitaries including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Senator Charles Schumer, General Services Administrator Lurita Doan, National Park Service Deputy Director for Operations Dan Wenk, African Burial Ground Superintendent Tara Morrison, New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Director Howard Dodson, poet and novelist Maya Angelou, and actors Sidney Poitier and Avery Brooks. The permanent memorial, constructed to honor the memories of the free and enslaved Africans bured at the original seven-acre Lower Manhattan site in the 17th and 18th Centuries, was opened to the public for the first time.

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky, where he joined First Lady Laura Bush, Historic Site Superintendent Keith Pruitt, and Libby O'Connell, Chief Historian of A and E Television's History Channel, for tours, remarks, interactions with National Park Service staff and visitors

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- State Sen. Thad Altman, president and chief executive officer of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation speaks during the Day of Remembrance ceremony. Seated to the right are, from the left, former NASA astronaut Jon McBride, chairman of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation board of directors Evelyn Husband-Thompson, widow of STS-107 commander Rick Husband Eileen Collins, commander of Discovery on the STS-114 mission that returned the shuttle program to flight following STS-107 Kennedy Space Center director Bob Cabana Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations William Gerstenmaier NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot and Mick Ukleja, chairman of the AMF board of trustees. Space center Employees and guests gathered at the Space Mirror Memorial at the visitor complex for the annual event which took place on the 10th anniversary of the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew. The ceremony also honored the astronauts of Apollo 1 and the

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky, where he joined First Lady Laura Bush, Historic Site Superintendent Keith Pruitt, and Libby O'Connell, Chief Historian of A and E Television's History Channel, for tours, remarks, interactions with National Park Service staff and visitors

Founder of the National Organization on Disability, Alan Reich, and Organization Chairman Michael Deland, front left to right, joining National Park Service's Fran Mainella, rear left, among officials on hand for the unveiling of the statue dedication panel, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Washington,D.C.

Secretary Gale Norton, third from left, and Take Pride in America Director Martha Allbright, fourth left, inspecting floats at Rosemont Pavilion, Pasadena, California, where they spoke about Take Pride in America-promoted volunteer commitment to cleanup of California lands devastated by 2003 forest fires.Norton and Allbright rode horseback in the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade

Secretary Gale Norton with Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Bennett Raley, during visit to Hoover Dam area, Boulder City, Nevada for activities marking historic Colorado River Water Delivery Agreement, providing for reduction in California reliance on Colorado River water

Secretary Gale Norton with flag from ceremony at the Flight 93 temporary memorial, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, honoring the passengers and crew ofthe plane hijacked on September 11, 2001. Norton visited the site to swear in the members of the Flight 93 National Memorial Federal Advisory Commission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at NASAs Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, former NASA astronaut and Hall of Famer Bonnie Dunbar walks the red carpet at the 2014 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Space shuttle astronauts and space explorers Shannon Lucid and Jerry Ross were inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2014.The 2014 inductees are selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians and journalists. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 17 years before the induction. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen and a NASA-trained commander, pilot or mission specialist who has orbited the earth at least once. Including Lucid and Ross, 87 astronauts have been inducted into the AHOF.

Sherman and Tammie Gillums look at their pictures with First Lady Michelle Obama as Mrs. Obama continues to greets guests at the Joining Forces Community Challenge event on the South Lawn of the White House, April 11, 2012.

Office of the Administrator - Agency Headquarters Renaming Ceremony - ceremony to mark the renaming of the Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters in honor of President Bill Clinton , Environmental Protection Agency

Television news anchor Tom Brokaw speaking at ceremonies at the War Correspondents Memorial, Burkittsville, Maryland, featuring unveiling of plaque honoring four prominent journalists killed during war and war-related coverage in Iraq and Pakistan

Secretary Gale Norton, left, with Take Pride in America Director Martha Allbright at award ceremonies, on the rooftop of the Department of Interior headquarters building, honoring individuals, youth groups, schools, organizations, partnerships, businesses involved in volunteer conservation efforts under the Take Pride in America program

Secretary Gale Norton, former President George H.W. Bush, National Organization on Disability Chairman Michael Deland, left to right, inspecting statue of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in wheelchair, during visit to Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial for statue dedication panel unveiling. Photograph was used in Interior video on Norton era

Highlights from ceremony marking the official release of the Idaho quarter --part of the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program--at the Boise Depot, Boise, Idaho, where Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joined Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Jr., U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy, Idaho State Treasurer Ron Crane, Peregrine Fund President J. Peter Jenny, Idaho KTVB-TV newscaster Larry Gebert, and singer-poet Rudy Gonzales among the participants

Department staff greeting President George W. Bush, from behind rope line, during his visit to Main Interior

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at the Living Legacy Awards event, recognizing contributions to Native American arts promotion, at Department of Interior headquarters, Washington, D.C.

Secretary Gale Norton with flag from ceremony at the Flight 93 temporary memorial, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, honoring the passengers and crew ofthe plane hijacked on September 11, 2001. Norton visited the site to swear in the members of the Flight 93 National Memorial Federal Advisory Commission

Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner, John Keys III, speaking at events promoting the national health, fitness, and outdoor appreciation initiative, Get Fit With US, at Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul, Minnesota

Visit of Acting Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett to Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, where she joined First Lady Laura Bush, National Park Service Director Fran Mainella, Mesa Verde Superintendent Larry Wiese, and other dignitaries for speeches, tours marking the Park's 100th anniversary

Dedication ceremony for the new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, where Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joined Vice President Dick Cheney, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, Grand Teton Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott, and Susan Thomas, wife of the late Senator Craig Thomas, among the featured speakers

Dedication of new memorial at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City, New York, with keynote address by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and presentations by dignitaries including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Senator Charles Schumer, General Services Administrator Lurita Doan, National Park Service Deputy Director for Operations Dan Wenk, African Burial Ground Superintendent Tara Morrison, New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Director Howard Dodson, poet and novelist Maya Angelou, and actors Sidney Poitier and Avery Brooks. The permanent memorial, constructed to honor the memories of the free and enslaved Africans bured at the original seven-acre Lower Manhattan site in the 17th and 18th Centuries, was opened to the public for the first time.

010524-D-9880W-023. State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Visit of Acting Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett to Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, where she joined First Lady Laura Bush, National Park Service Director Fran Mainella, Mesa Verde Superintendent Larry Wiese, and other dignitaries for speeches, tours marking the Park's 100th anniversary

Amy Lamb photography exhibit opening at Main Interior, with Secretary Gale Norton, Deputy Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett, National Park Service Director Fran Mainella, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget and Finance Robert Lamb (husband of Amy Lamb) among the Interior officials on hand

Visit by Secretary Gale Norton to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for tour, with Independence National Park Superintendent Mary Bomar and other officials, of Chestnut Street area around Independence Hall, and for discussions on issue of reopening block closed to traffic since September, 2001 attacks on U.S

Dedication of new memorial at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City, New York, with keynote address by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and presentations by dignitaries including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Senator Charles Schumer, General Services Administrator Lurita Doan, National Park Service Deputy Director for Operations Dan Wenk, African Burial Ground Superintendent Tara Morrison, New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Director Howard Dodson, poet and novelist Maya Angelou, and actors Sidney Poitier and Avery Brooks. The permanent memorial, constructed to honor the memories of the free and enslaved Africans bured at the original seven-acre Lower Manhattan site in the 17th and 18th Centuries, was opened to the public for the first time.

American Recreation Coalition (ARC) 2006 Sheldon Coleman Great Outdoors Award ceremony and reception, with presentations by ARC President Derrick Crandall and other ARC officials, and award acceptance by Congressman Thomas Petri of Wisconsin

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Washington, D.C.'s Tidal Basin and surrounding area, where he joined National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Peggy O'Dell, and National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc. President Diana Mayhew for a press conference announcement of new and enhanced visitor services on the National Mall in time for the 2008 Cherry Bloossom Festival. The Secretary also spoke with National Park Service staff, U.S. Park Police personnel, and visitors around the Tidal Basin and National Mall.

Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri, left, with Secretary Gale Norton at Touro Synagogue, Newport, Rhode Island, for event featuring announcement of a Save America's Treasures program grant for the Synagogue, the nation's oldest

Secretary Gale Norton, former President George H.W. Bush, National Organization on Disability Chairman Michael Deland, left to right, after inspecting statue of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, during visit to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, D.C., for unveiling of statue dedication panel

Secretary Gale Norton participating in National Public Lands Day activities at This Is The Place Heritage Park, Salt Lake City, Utah, including hike around the Park with members of the American Frontiers--A Public Lands Journey teams trekking on U.S. public lands between Canadian, Mexican borders

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky, where he joined First Lady Laura Bush, Historic Site Superintendent Keith Pruitt, and Libby O'Connell, Chief Historian of A and E Television's History Channel, for tours, remarks, interactions with National Park Service staff and visitors

Tours and related events, for Department of Interior senior officials and their spouses, at Interior headquarters building, Washington Monument, and other sites around National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Visit of Acting Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett to Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, where she joined First Lady Laura Bush, National Park Service Director Fran Mainella, Mesa Verde Superintendent Larry Wiese, and other dignitaries for speeches, tours marking the Park's 100th anniversary

76 new American citizens taking oath of citizenship at Independence Day Naturalization Ceremony on July 4, 2005 at Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia, on the anniversary of Jefferson's death day and the signing of the Declaration of Independence

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton to Point Sur, California, to mark transfer of Point Sur Lighthouse from Coast Guard to California State Parks custody. Transfer of lighthouse custody was the first of its kind on the West Coast

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at events marking the debut of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial traveling exhibit, Corps of Discovery II, at Monticello, Virginia

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy (right) speaks to attendees at a memorial service honoring the crew of Columbia. At left are KSC Deputy Director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott, who was an invited speaker. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997. They are standing in front of the Space Memorial Mirror at the KSC Visitor Complex. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. Attended by many friends, co-workers and families, the memorial service was also open to the public.

Dedication of new memorial at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City, New York, with keynote address by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and presentations by dignitaries including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Senator Charles Schumer, General Services Administrator Lurita Doan, National Park Service Deputy Director for Operations Dan Wenk, African Burial Ground Superintendent Tara Morrison, New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Director Howard Dodson, poet and novelist Maya Angelou, and actors Sidney Poitier and Avery Brooks. The permanent memorial, constructed to honor the memories of the free and enslaved Africans bured at the original seven-acre Lower Manhattan site in the 17th and 18th Centuries, was opened to the public for the first time.

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at ceremony at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota, marking the 75th anniversary of the Memorial

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton gives remarks during a Gold Star Mothers and Family Day event Sept. 25 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Illinois. Stratton and Gov. J.B. Pritzker presented flowers to family members of fallen heroes in attendance. Gov. Pritzker proclaimed September 25 as Gold Star Mothers Day in Illinois to recognize the mothers who suffered the supreme tragedy in the loss of their sons and daughters in wars and remember the sacrifice they have made. Since 1936, Gold Star Mothers and Family Day has taken place to recognize the loved ones of those who have tragically lost their lives in the line of duty. (Illinois National Guard photo by Army Sgt. Trenton Fouche)

Visit of Acting Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett to Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, where she joined First Lady Laura Bush, National Park Service Director Fran Mainella, Mesa Verde Superintendent Larry Wiese, and other dignitaries for speeches, tours marking the Park's 100th anniversary

Dedication ceremony for the new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, where Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joined Vice President Dick Cheney, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, Grand Teton Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott, and Susan Thomas, wife of the late Senator Craig Thomas, among the featured speakers

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons (right) addresses guests attending a ceremony at the KSC Visitor Complex held in remembrance of the astronauts lost in the Apollo 1 fire: Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee. Members of their families, along with Associate Administrator for Space Operations William Gerstenmaier, President of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation Stephen Feldman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation William Potter and former astronaut John Young, attended the ceremony.

Visit of Acting Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett to Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, where she joined First Lady Laura Bush, National Park Service Director Fran Mainella, Mesa Verde Superintendent Larry Wiese, and other dignitaries for speeches, tours marking the Park's 100th anniversary

Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides in New York City, New York for touring, participation in dedication of new memorial at the African Burial Ground National Monument

Secretary Gale Norton, center, touring Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, near Las Vegas, Nevada, with Bureau of Land Management Nevada Director Ron Wenker, to her right. Norton announced approval of $1.08 billion, under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, for parks and trails, conservation, land acquisition, habitat protection, Lake Tahoe restoration projects

Mark Armstrong, son of Neil Armstrong, speaks during a memorial service celebrating the life of his father, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, at the Camargo Club in Cincinnati. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, died Saturday, Aug. 25. He was 82.

Launching event at Main Interior for the Bureau of Indian Education's "BIE READS" reading and math skills improvement program, with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Carl Artman and Bureau of Indian Education Acting Director Kevin Skenandore, among other officials, along with students and faculty from Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools on the Puyallup Indian Reservation in Washington, the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico, and the Alamo Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico

Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman, left, with Secretary Gale Norton during the Secretary's visit to St. Paul, Minnesota for events promoting the national health, fitness, and outdoor appreciation initiative, Get Fit With US, at Harriet Island Regional Park

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, Mount Vernon, Virginia, for touring and announcement of the U.S. nomination of the George Washington home, along with the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaii, for inclusion on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) World Heritage List. Joining Secretary Kempthorne for the announcement was James Rees, Executive Director of the Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Boy Scouts lead the pledge of allegiance. The May 5 induction added space shuttle commanders Michael L. Coats, Steven A. Hawley and Jeffrey A. Hoffman to the Hall of Fame. They grow the number of space explorers enshrined in the Hall of Fame to 66. These gentlemen have joined such American space heroes as Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard and Sally Ride. The ceremony was held at the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center.

National Organization on Disability Chairman Michael Deland, former First Lady Barbara Bush, former President George H.W. Bush, front left to right, with Secretary Gale Norton behind, during visit to Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, D.C., for unveiling of Roosevelt statue dedication panel

Secretary Gale Norton and Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, center, speaking to reporters during visit to Philadelphia to tour the Chestnut Street area around Independence Hall, and to discuss the issue of reopening the Chestnut block closed to traffic since the September, 2001 terrorist attacks on U.S

Secretary Gale Norton inspecting dedication panel, just unveiled, for statue of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in wheelchair, during ceremony at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, D.C. Former First Lady Barbara Bush and former President George H.W. Bush, rear, look on

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at press conference at Red Spring site in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, near Las Vegas, Nevada, where she announced approval of $1.08 billion, under Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, for parks and trails, capital improvement, environmentally sensitive land acquisition, multi-species habitat conservation, Lake Tahoe restoration projects

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton to Point Sur, California, to mark transfer of Point Sur Lighthouse from Coast Guard to California State Parks custody. Transfer of lighthouse custody was the first of its kind on the West Coast

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Old State House in Boston, Massachusetts, where he joined National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, Boston National Historical Park Superintendent Terry Savage, Bostonian Society Executive Director Brian LeMay, Boston Environmental and Energy Services Chief James Hunt III, and other officials at event marking the completion of the initial phase of the Old State House restoration, including restoration of the building's famous tower. The preservation work represents the first completed construction project of the National Park Service's Centennial Initiative.

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton to Acadia National Park, Maine for touring and discussions with National Park Service staff and conservation volunteers

Fort Belknap Indian Reservation Vice Chairman, Darrell Martin, at podium, with Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Superintendent, and Mandan-Hidatsa Tribe member, Gerard Baker, and Secretary Gale Norton behind, left to right, at Lewis and Clark Bicentennial mobile exhibit opening, Washington, D.C.

First official day at the Department of the Interior: Secretary Dirk Kempthorne touring Main Interior and National Mall, meeting officials, staff, visitors

Secretary Dirk Kempthorne with participants, audience members on hand for ceremony marking the official release of the Idaho quarter --part of the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program--at the Boise Depot, Boise, Idaho. Secretary Kempthorne joined Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Jr., U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy, Idaho State Treasurer Ron Crane, Peregrine Fund President J. Peter Jenny, Idaho KTVB-TV newscaster Larry Gebert, and singer-poet Rudy Gonzales among the speakers.

2006 Family Heritage Awards Ceremony at the National Park Service's Ellis Island Immigration Museum in New York City, New York, with Acting Interior Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett among the speakers and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, author Frank McCourt, advertising executive Shelly Lazarus, and major league baseball's Tommy Lasorda among the featured awardees

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky, where he joined First Lady Laura Bush, Historic Site Superintendent Keith Pruitt, and Libby O'Connell, Chief Historian of A and E Television's History Channel, for tours, remarks, interactions with National Park Service staff and visitors

Following an Astronauts Memorial Foundation tribute honoring U.S. Air Foce Maj. Robert Lawrence, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, right, speaks with Lawrence's sister, Barbara Lawrence, Ph.D. Selected in 1967 for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program, Lawrence was the first African-American astronaut. He lost his life in a training accident 50 years ago. The ceremony took place in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Tours and related events, for Department of Interior senior officials and their spouses, at Interior headquarters building, Washington Monument, and other sites around National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Office of the Administrator (Lisa P. Jackson) - Environmental Initiatives reception recognizing African-American appointees in the Obama Administration , Environmental Protection Agency

Dedication of new memorial at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City, New York, with keynote address by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and presentations by dignitaries including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Senator Charles Schumer, General Services Administrator Lurita Doan, National Park Service Deputy Director for Operations Dan Wenk, African Burial Ground Superintendent Tara Morrison, New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Director Howard Dodson, poet and novelist Maya Angelou, and actors Sidney Poitier and Avery Brooks. The permanent memorial, constructed to honor the memories of the free and enslaved Africans bured at the original seven-acre Lower Manhattan site in the 17th and 18th Centuries, was opened to the public for the first time.

The Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, left, and artist Charles Fazzino prepare to unveil Fazzinos donated three-dimensional art piece during a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Toys for Tots program at Marine Barracks Washington in Washington, D.C., June 3, 2022. Toys for Tots aims to provide happiness and hope to disadvantaged children through the gift of a new toy during the Christmas holiday season. The toys, books, and other gifts collected and distributed by Reserve Marines and the Toys for Tots Foundation offers these children recognition and a positive memory that can last a lifetime.

Senator and Mrs. John Kerry standing in audience of 83rd Intertribal Indian Ceremony, Gallup, NM

Somerset County, Pennsylvania Commissioner James Marker speaking at swearing-in ceremony for the 15 members of the Flight 93 National Memorial Federal Advisory Commission. Event was at the temporary memorial, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, honoring passengers and crew of the plane hijacked on September 11, 2001

Secretary Antony J. Blinken meets with recently resettled Afghans and with staff members and volunteers from local refugee resettlement agencies, in Alexandria, VA on December 20, 2021.

Secretary Gale Norton, left, with USA Freedom Corps Director John Bridgeland at award ceremonies, on the rooftop of the Department of Interior headquarters building, honoring individuals, youth groups, schools, organizations, partnerships, businesses involved in volunteer conservation efforts under the Take Pride in America program

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at the dedication ceremony for the life-size sculpture of the Wright brothers' first flight, at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The 10,000-pound bronze and stainless steel sculpture was presented as a gift from North Carolina to the National Park Service, part of activities commemorating the centennial of the first powered flight

Dedication ceremony for the new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, where Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joined Vice President Dick Cheney, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, Grand Teton Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott, and Susan Thomas, wife of the late Senator Craig Thomas, among the featured speakers

Secretary Gale Norton, far left, greeting Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Superintendent Doug Faris, far right, at National Trails Day-related events at the Canal National Historical Park in the Washington, D.C. area, marking the designation of 26 new national trails in 16 states

Events, attended by National Park Service Director Fran Mainella, promoting the national health, fitness, and outdoor appreciation initiative, Get Fit With US, at Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul, Minnesota

Activities at the National Park Service Superintendents Summit, Cliff Lodge, Snowbird, Utah, with Deputy Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, and National Park Service Deputy Director for Support Services Lindi Harvey among the officials on hand

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets a group of children from the staff at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota during a visit to Colombia on August 12, 2013.

Dedication of new memorial at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City, New York, with keynote address by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and presentations by dignitaries including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Senator Charles Schumer, General Services Administrator Lurita Doan, National Park Service Deputy Director for Operations Dan Wenk, African Burial Ground Superintendent Tara Morrison, New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Director Howard Dodson, poet and novelist Maya Angelou, and actors Sidney Poitier and Avery Brooks. The permanent memorial, constructed to honor the memories of the free and enslaved Africans bured at the original seven-acre Lower Manhattan site in the 17th and 18th Centuries, was opened to the public for the first time.

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, where he delivered the keynote address at the grand opening and dedication ceremony for the new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center in the Paradise area of the Park. Secretary Kempthorne was joined at the event by dignitaries including: Washington Congressman Norman Dicks, chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks; National Park Service Pacific West Regional Director Jonathan Jarvis; Mount Rainier Superintendent Dave Uberuaga; Interior Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Kameran Onley; Nisqually tribal elder Zelma McCloud; and Peter Jackson of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.

of 2