Archives Month Virtual Talk with A.J. Orlikoff | Adapt or Die

Join us for a free virtual talk on the evolving landscape of public engagement with the director of programming at Congressional Cemetery, Anthony “A.J.” Orlikoff. Expanding on his recent article titled “Adapt or Die” for American Cemetery and Cremation, Orlikoff will discuss the opportunities and challenges in reimagining and embracing the multifaceted role that historical cemeteries play as active sites of memory, education and civic life.

With its first burial in 1807, Congressional Cemetery is among the oldest institutions in Washington, D.C., and is the final resting place for over 67,000 individuals, including notable figures such as Belva Lockwood, Mathew Brady, Alain Locke, Marion Barry and J. Edgar Hoover, as well as a number of former members of Congress. Still an active burial ground, it is the only place in Washington where individuals can be buried at a site directly on Pierre L’Enfant’s 18th-century city plan. Once primarily a destination for funerals and genealogical research, the cemetery today serves as an urban green space, a site of historical interpretation and a gathering place for community programming. As a trained historian, Orlikoff will highlight the ways in which archival documentation serves as an essential foundation for these initiatives.

An alumnus of Old Dominion University with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history, Orlikoff is a published author, a contributor to Washington History magazine and treasurer of the Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington.

This is a free event, but registration is required. For more information, contact Mary Ann Mason at maryann.mason@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3648.
Information about joining by Zoom will be shared with all registered participants.

Programming assistance is provided by the Friends of the Virginia State Archives, a 501(c)(3) organization. Visit them at friendsvirginiaarchives.org.

Learn more about 2026 Archives Month programming at www.lva.virginia.gov/events/vam/2026.