Robert Warner, who led the National Archives to independence even while dealing with Reagan-era budget cuts and criticism over the release of Oval Office recordings, died of a heart attack April 24 in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was 79.
When he was appointed archivist by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, the agency labored under the oversight of the General Services Administration, which regarded it as a warehouse and records repository.
Through a behind-the-scenes campaign waged through historical and genealogical associations, Mr. Warner sprung the Archives free. President Ronald Reagan signed legislation making it the National Archives and Records Administration as it celebrated its 50th anniversary.
In appreciation, the research center at the renovated Archives building was named for Mr. Warner in 2005.
