Retired national archivist to speak on preserving records of truth commissions, Jan. 28

AMES, Iowa -- Trudy Huskamp Peterson, an Iowa State University alumnus and retired director of the National Archives, will talk about "Legacies of Repression: Archives and Human Rights," at 8 p.m., Monday, Jan. 28 in the Memorial Union Sun Room at Iowa State. The event is free and open to the public.

Peterson is a leading figure in international efforts to preserve records of governmental truth commissions and international criminal tribunals. She served in South Africa as an adviser for the records of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established to serve victims of violence and human rights abuses under Apartheid. Based on this experience, Peterson wrote the book, "Final Acts: A Guide to Preserving the Records of Truth Commissions."

She also served as the director of Archives and Records Management for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. And she was the founding executive director of the Open Society Archives in Budapest, where she led efforts to preserve and make available archives from the countries of the former Soviet bloc. Most recently, Peterson was a consultant in Guatemala, working with government police records.

Peterson graduated from Iowa State in 1967 with a bachelor's degree in English. In April, she will receive an Iowa State University Distinguished Alumni Award.

Peterson's lecture is part of the World Affairs Series and the Iowa State 150th Anniversary Alumni Lecture Series.