What is a deed of gift?
• A deed of gift is a legal document between a donor and an archival repository. • Prior to the passage of the Presidential Records Act (PRA) in 1978, the documentary materials created by a President and his staff during an administration were considered the President’s personal property to be disposed of as he desired. • Presidents Herbert Hoover through Jimmy Carter (with the exception of Richard Nixon) donated their Presidential papers to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) through deed of gift agreements. • Deeds of gift include restrictions of materials for national security and invasion of privacy reasons.
