Keeper of the Register explained

The Keeper of the Register (more formally known as the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places) is a National Park Service (NPS) official, responsible for deciding on the eligibility of historic properties for inclusion on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).^[1]

The Keeper of the Register role was created following the 1966 enactment of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The NHPA declared a national policy focus on preserving significant historic sites, and it has been amended several times since it was first enacted. The NHPA authorized the Secretary of the Interior to maintain a National Register of Historic Places, which has been delegated to the Keeper by the Director of the National Park Service.^[2]

The first person to hold the office was William J. Murtagh, whose term ran from 1967 through 1979. The Keeper's authority may be delegated as they see fit.^[3] The State Historic Preservation Officer for each state submits nominations to the Keeper. Upon receipt, the Keeper has 45 days to decide whether to add the property to the NRHP.^{[3] [4] [5]}

The Keeper of the Register role is supported by several regional reviewers, who review submissions for inclusion on the NHRP.^[6] This team also is supported by several archaeologists, archivists, and historians.

List of Keepers

	Keeper	Term	Appointing Director	Notes
1^[7]	William J. Murtagh	1967 – 1979	George B. Hartzog Jr.
Acting^[8]	Carol D. Shull	1979 – 1981	William J. Whalen III
2	Jerry L. Rogers	1981 – 1994	Russell E. Dickenson
3	Carol D. Shull	1994 - 2005	Roger G. Kennedy
4	Jan Snyder Matthews	2005 – 2009	Fran P. Mainella
Interim	Carol D. Shull	2009 – January 3, 2015	Mary A. Bomar
5	Stephanie Toothman	January 4, 2015 – June 2, 2017	Jonathan Jarvis
6	J. Paul Loether	June 3, 2017 – June 25, 2018	Michael T. Reynolds
7	Joy Beasley	July 2018 – Present	P. Daniel Smith	NPS Associate Director of Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science

Notes and References

1. http://www.juneau.org/history/Preservation_Plan/register.php Historic Preservation in Juneau - Community Development Department, City and Borough of Juneau
2. Web site: Federal Register :: Request Access .
3. Web site: Code of Federal Regulations: 36 CFR Part 60 National Register of Historic Places . 2007-04-12 . 2007-02-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070210010625/http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/regulations.htm . dead .
4. https://web.archive.org/web/20040819204013/http://archnet.asu.edu/Topical/CRM/USdocs/36CFR63.html 36 CFR 63 - Eligibility for Inclusion in the National Register
5. Web site: SHPO Fact Sheet #1: National Register of Historic Places - January 1996, Oklahoma's State Historic Preservation Office . 2007-04-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014040/http://www.okhistory.org/shpo/factsheet1.htm . 2007-09-28 . dead .
6. Web site: Contact Us - National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service). 2021-03-22. www.nps.gov. en.
7. Web site: William J. Murtagh papers > ArchivesUM . Digital.lib.umd.edu . 1923-05-02 . 2017-11-16.
8. personal correspondence from Keeper Shull