Introducing the first Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy

Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) is excited to welcome its Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy, Lauren Harper.

Last year, FPF announced the creation of the Ellsberg Chair in honor of the legendary whistleblower and FPF co-founder, Daniel Ellsberg, who passed away in June 2023. As the first Ellsberg Chair, Harper’s work will focus on highlighting and fighting the multitude of ways the government keeps secrets — from the press, from the public, and from congressional overseers. Her work will also illuminate how rampant overclassification negatively impacts everything from public health to national security.

“We are so proud to further the legacy of our late co-founder Daniel Ellsberg with this important position,” said FPF Executive Director Trevor Timm. “Dan tirelessly and eloquently fought for secrecy reform for more than 50 years; we are extremely grateful that Lauren Harper will carry the torch in his name.”

Harper joins FPF after a decade fighting excessive government secrecy with Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, the National Security Archive. There she served as public policy director and helped historians, journalists, and the public win the declassification of historically significant government documents. She has extensive experience with the Freedom of Information Act, both as a prolific FOIA requester and former member of the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee, and is an expert on the classification system, the Presidential Records Act, and records management issues. She holds a master’s in public policy and a master’s in Middle Eastern studies, both from the University of Chicago.

“Daniel Ellsberg knew better than most that there are too many secrets, and they make us less safe,” Harper said. “I’m honored, humbled, and excited to continue the fight against the secrecy system. I hope that my work will help more people understand and question the mechanisms of government secrecy, as well as the validity (or lack thereof) of those secrets.”

For more information about the Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy, or if you’d like to interview Lauren Harper for a story, please reach out to media@freedom.press.