If you visited the National Archives Exhibition Hall—now known as the Rotunda—between the years 1942 and 1955, you would have likely seen one of the National Archives’ most dedicated and enthusiastic guards, George Bloomquist.
Bloomquist was standing guard in the Rotunda even before the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were placed on exhibit following their transfer from the Library of Congress in 1952.
Bloomquist was born in 1892 in Minneapolis, MN. After serving in World War I, he worked on a timber farm in Minnesota before moving to Washington, DC, when he was almost 50 years old.
In addition to guarding the nation’s most precious documents, Bloomquist was briefly a movie star. When filming for the motion picture 13 Rue Madeleine took place at the National Archives Building, Bloomquist was one of the few who made it into the final cut. You can see him standing at the entrance to the Exhibition Hall in the opening scenes. Staff members Roscoe Hill and Josephine Kelley also made it into the final version.
Upon Bloomquist’s retirement, Archivist of the United States wrote, “Since 1942 you have been a familiar figure in our Exhibition Hall, and you have every right to be proud of the role you have played in guarding our Nation’s most treasured documents that are on display there. Your concern for their safekeeping and the enthusiasm you have shown in helping us to cope with the many thousands of visitors who have come to see them since 1952 has been commendable.”
Learn more about National Archives’ staff members and their contributions in our Historic Staff Spotlight series.