Thomas S. Blanton is Director of the National Security Archive at George Washington University, a position he has held since 1992. An award-winning historian and investigative researcher, he specializes in declassified government records, U.S. foreign policy, and Cold War history. His work has earned an Emmy Award, the George Polk Award, and the James Madison Award. He is the author and editor of numerous books and has testified before Congress on government secrecy, transparency, and access to public records.