 Hi, my name is Jay Visanko and I'm the Chief Operating Officer of the National Archives and Records Administration. I'm excited to be taking part in the celebration of the 1950 Census launch and to share with you some information about the records. The federal government conducts a population census every 10 years. Primary reason for taking a census is the requirement in Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution that a census be conducted every 10 years in order to fairly apportion representation to the United States House of Representatives. State and local legislative bodies also use census data for reapportionment. And statistical data collected during the census also helps demographers, policy makers, business leaders, and others understand where government services need to be located, such as schools and parks, or potential markets for commercial clients. After the census is taken, it is restricted for 72 years in order to protect the personally identifiable information of the individuals enumerated. At the end of the 72-year period, the National Archives is responsible for releasing the accession population census to the public. It is a big job, especially during a pandemic, but our staff is up to the challenge. As shared by the Archivist United States, David Ferriero, the 1950 census includes almost 7 million records. In addition, it includes 33,000 Indian reservation schedules. Users can search the 1950 census population schedules by name and location, and the Indian reservation schedules are searchable by reservation. In addition to the continental United States, the 1950 census also includes the U.S. territories and possessions of Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, the Panama Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are also census schedules for Canton, Johnston, Midway, and Wake Islands. No other overseas residents are included. The United States had 19.1 million more people in 1950 than in 1940. The biggest increase the country had experienced up to that time. California led the way with 3.6 million more people, an increase of over 50%. The 1950 census reflected the continuing population shift from rural to urban areas and the rise of suburbs around major cities. It's the first census after World War II, and it's the first census of the Baby Boom generation. It includes the sitting president, Harry S. Truman, along with 13 former or future presidents of the United States. I encourage you to take some time to explore the 1950 census records. I know I'm looking forward to seeing what I can discover.