Byron began volunteering at the Richard Nixon Foundation in 2007.[5][4] Byron says he was not motivated by a particular affinity for Richard Nixon,but by "geographic proximity"[6] and his interest in U.S. presidential history.[5] Upon his college graduation,Byron joined the Nixon Foundation's full time staff. He was eventually promoted to executive vice president,and worked closely with the Nixon Foundation's then-president,Hugh Hewitt,a well-known former conservative radio host who became a mentor to Byron.[2][5]
Byron oversaw the Nixon Library's reopening celebration in 2016 following a 14-month renovation that had cost $15 million.[7] He also worked as coordinator of a $25 million capital campaign with the campaign chairman Fred Malek,who had started the White House Presidential Personnel Office in the Nixon administration and was later president of Marriott,from about 2014 to 2017.[2] In 2018,Byron published the official Nixon Library souvenir guide,A President Comes Home.[8]
In September 2020,Byron announced the release and exhibition of several letters written between Presidents Nixon and Donald Trump,discovered in the Nixon Foundation’s archives. In the letters,Nixon passed along a prediction from his wife Pat Nixon,telling Trump:"whenever you decide to run for office you will be a winner!".[6] Byron said that the letters were “perhaps the best documented relationship that our current president has with any of his predecessors”and “an invaluable contribution to the ever-evolving group that we know as the presidents club."[9][10]
Byron was unanimously elected President and CEO of the Richard Nixon Foundation in November 2021 by the Board of Directors,succeeding Hewitt. Byron introduced two new Foundation programs —the Nixon National Cancer Conference and the Grand Strategy Summit—and oversaw a $40 million fundraising effort called The American Civics Campaign “that helps educate middle and high school students on American civics and history.”[11] Additionally,he said his other objectives are “expanding online content and educational offerings,supporting Chapman [University] scholars’research and attracting more international visitors”to the Nixon Library.[5] Will O’Neill,mayor of Newport Beach and executive director of the Republican Party of Orange County,said,“Jim Byron’s fingertips on maintaining and curating America's history are found all over Orange County.”[11]
In July 2022,Byron was named a “Person of Interest”by Politico Magazine. In a profile he was described as “polite,well-spoken and almost painfully earnest in his regard for American political history.”Byron described the Watergate scandal as “a bellwether of changing times in America”and a window into the “cultural and ideological changes and clashes that began to reshape,redefine and divide society.”[6]
He later told the Orange County Register that the Nixon Library's museum "encourages visitors to make up their own mind about Nixon."[5]
In September 2020,the Nixon Foundation hosted an interview with Donald Trump,Jr. as part of its series of "great American authors".[12] In 2022,he hosted former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Mike Pompeo,former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley,and former National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien at the Nixon Library.[13]
In 2024,he hosted President George W. Bush at the Nixon Library in March.[15] In August 2024,he interviewed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch at the Nixon Library.[16] In October 2024,he presented exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi with an award at a Nixon Library banquet[17] and presented the exiled Empress Farah Pahlavi with an award the following month.[18]
As President of the Nixon Foundation,Byron prioritized social media and reaching younger audiences.[13] He has appeared on C-SPAN more than 30 times and was the guest on ‘‘Q&A’’in December 2021.[19]
In February 2025,President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he appointed Byron as Senior Advisor to the Archivist of the United States,and charged him with “manag[ing] the National Archives on a day-to-day basis,while we continue our search for a full-time Archivist.”[20][21] Trump had dismissed Archivist Colleen Shogan days before,[22] and appointed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the Acting Archivist.[20] Byron was described by one journalist as a “sharp young up and comer to watch.”[23] Byron took a leave of absence from the Nixon Foundation to accept the role.[24][25]
Soon after Byron’s appointment,it was reported that he threatened to dismiss Deputy Archivist William Bosanko and several others,[26] but the Washington Post clarified that Bosanko retired.[27] One interest group called Byron’s appointment a “hostile takeover.”[28] Byron said,“We are right now evaluating all current operations and functions as well as revisiting priorities set under prior leadership and setting new priorities.”He called the 2026 United States Semiquincentennial “the most significant opportunity to share the mission of the National Archives with fellow citizens and the wider world”[29] and announced plans for founding-era documents to travel across the United States and open a special exhibition at the National Archives in Washington,D.C. on the Declaration of Independence.[30]
Byron initiated a reorganization of the National Archives. He said,“The biggest thing that surprised me is how thinly spread the agency is. NARA has been trying to do too much for too long,”and “what we're taking a look at now,as the whole government is,are ways to get back to core mission and function and statutory requirements that come from Congress.”[30] On X,he wrote,“The goal [of the reorganization] is to improve public access to incredible documents,artifacts &holdings by shifting resources to support archival transparency,”and said that the “reallocation”would save nearly $50 million,“or more than 10% of the agency’s budget.”[31] This reportedly included 100 layoffs[32] which one reporter called “taking the spirit of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the Archives.”[30] Former Archivist Colleen Shogan called proposed cuts to NARA’s budget “a decision that will frustrate NARA’s ability to fulfill its mission.”A National Archives spokesperson responded,saying,“We encourage everyone to wait until the reorganization goes fully into effect to see the positive changes it will bring.”[33]
Byron with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Principal Deputy Director of Intelligence Aaron Lukas,September 19,2025
Byron contributed to the releases of files related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy,Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King,Jr. These file releases were ordered in accordance with Executive Order 14176 signed by President Donald Trump on January 23,2025.[34] Byron said,“I don't think that 100% of the people who are skeptical are ever going to be happy,but what we can be certain of is that we,the National Archives,release 100% of what we know to be out there,so that people can make up their minds,and so we can say ‘everything is out,make up your own minds,’and we're working on that right now.”[35]
Byron launched a new exhibition series called Opening the Vault to display “historical treasures,documents,and items of historical value without precedent in the history of the United States”that are in the National Archives. These include George Washington's Oath of Allegiance to the United States,Benjamin Franklin’s postal ledger,early drafts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution,and the 1783 Treaty of Paris signed by King George III.[30] Byron said,“rather than let them sit in a vault—where nobody gets to see them—we decided to ‘open the vault’to show the American people some of the most significant records and artifacts in their history. These remarkable items are tangible bridges to the past,connecting the American story from 1776 right up to today.”[36]
In addition,in June,he displayed the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3,saying “The annual public exhibition of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and this important military order provides a regular opportunity to reinforce how America’s founding principles ultimately ended slavery.”[37]
Byron with Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley,former Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater and Patrick Madden to open "The American Story" museum exhibition,November 21,2025
In September 2025,Byron put the entire United States Constitution on display for the first time in history.[38] He said,“As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding,the National Archives is playing a major role in the coast-to-coast commemorations by providing the American people access to their history. This extraordinary installation welcomes all Americans to celebrate the bedrock of our national life:our Constitution.”[39] The exhibition was extended due to popular demand.[40]
Byron helped cut the ribbon to open a permanent museum exhibit at the National Archives called "The American Story" on October 23,2025,with U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley and former Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater.[41] Opened in time for the United States Semiquincentennial,the museum exhibit features an AI-designed selection of documents based on the personal visitor interests.[42]
Personal life
Byron lives in Costa Mesa and enjoys playing tennis and golf.[8] In 2022,he received Chapman University’s Distinguished Alumni Award.[13]
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