I hope you enjoyed the “Who Do You Think You Are?” episode on Sunday night that featured Bill Paxton using DAR resources to learn more about his ancestor. Clips from the episode are available on the TLC website here.

I was so proud of how beautiful our Headquarters looked and how well our organization was portrayed. We have seen our Headquarters buildings on television and in movies before, but usually substituting as the White House or other iconic D.C. locations in fictional storylines. It was such an honor to see the DAR Headquarters showcased on national television as itself and to highlight the services we provide to the public.

DAR was first mentioned in the episode when they were using the GRS to find Bill Paxton's ancestor. After they located the ancestor in the GRS they made their way to Washington, D.C., to our National Headquarters. Scenes at our Headquarters showcased the DAR Library in particular, and Bill Paxton’s interview portions were filmed in the Pennsylvania Foyer.

 “Who Do You Think You Are?” has provided positive national exposure for our organization. The traffic to our GRS site more than quadrupled on Sunday! Additionally, double the normal number of Record Copies and Supporting Documents were ordered Sunday evening.This shows the increased interest in our genealogical resources!

In 2012, when “Who Do You Think You Are?” filmed at DAR Headquarters with Rob Lowe our websites briefly crashed because of the increased exporsure for DAR. While traffic to our website on Sunday night was significantly higher than usual, we didn't face any technical setbacks because of the fiber optic cable and expanded Internet bandwidth which was installed as part of the President General’s Project last year.

We couldn’t share too much information with you prior to the air date in order to preserve the storyline of the episode. But I’m pleased to tell you more about the DAR involvement today and to share some behind the scenes photos from the filming at DAR Headquarters.

View photos from the filming here.

The DAR was contacted by producers from “Who Do You Think You Are?” (WDYTYA) who were working on a storyline that included a Revolutionary War era ancestor. The researchers utilized the GRS to discover the patriot.

Without being told who the celebrity subject was, DAR worked with the WDYTYA producers to plan the filming at the DAR Library. The DAR team worked closely with the WDYTYA production team to assure accuracy in the portrayal of the DAR Headquarters, organization, and genealogical procedures and requirements.

Many of the aspects of the filming are planned ahead of time in order to effectively produce a compelling program. However, the information presented to the celebrity is a complete surprise to the individual so their reactions and dialogue are unscripted. Bill Paxton was genuinely so excited and moved by the discoveries made at the DAR Library.

The whole WDYTYA production crew was so complimentary of the DAR team that assisted throughout the entire process. 

Clips from the episode are posted on the TLC website here, please watch and share them with your friends and family.  It’s a great opportunity to start a dialogue with someone and tell them more about our wonderful organization!