Carolyn Ladd, JD CG® AG®
I am a genealogist who is passionate about identifying ancestors, learning their stories, and preserving them for future generations. My interest in genealogy was sparked by my paternal grandfather who was an oral family historian. Through my husband’s family, I have developed an interest in African American genealogy.
I hold a Certified Genealogist® credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists® (No. 1163). I am accredited in African American genealogy by the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGenSM).
“Genealogy preserves the history of our ancestors for future generations.”
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
RootsTech
National Genealogical Society
“A Case Study in Land, Migration, and Family Connections: Section 18 of Jackson Township, Fayette County, Indiana”
May 28, 2026
2:30 – 3:30 PM
“African Americans in Indiana Before the Civil War: Peter Ladd of Cabin Creek in Randolph County, and the Story of Free Black Settlements”
May 29, 2026
9:30 – 10:30 AM
Past Speaking Engagements
AAHGS National Conference
The conference theme, “Fighting Erasure: Staying Visible by Keeping African American Genealogy and History in Focus,” underscored the crucial role of preserving and spotlighting African American history and genealogy in the broader narrative of American history.
BCG Education Fund
“Paper Trails and Legal Tales: Analyzing History One Record at a Time”
With instructors:
Carolyn Ladd, JD, CG, AG
Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, FUGA
The event was held virtually Saturday, 8 November 2025, beginning at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern) / 8:00 a.m. (Pacific) and ended at 7:00 p.m (Eastern)/4:00 p.m. (Pacific) including breaks. Registration opened Thursday 4 September at 12:00 p.m. (Eastern)/ 9:00 a.m. (Pacific). Attendance was capped at 60 attendees. The event was not recorded or live-streamed.
The Marker Family
Chronicling the American Dream of the Marker Family.
The Marker Family book follows the journey of George Marker and his wife Margaret Storm, who moved to Ohio by covered wagon, and four generations of their descendants.
The book is available in select libraries including the Library of Congress and the FamilySearch Library.
Credentials & Certificates
Certified Genealogist® (No. 1163)
Accredited Genealogist® Professional (African American)
Certificate in Genealogical Research (Boston University)
Degrees
B.A. (Political Science)
University of Washington
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J.D.
University of Oregon School of Law
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LL.M. (Labor Law)
Georgetown University Law Center
Publications & Media
“Who’s Lad was John Ladd?” NGS Magazine 52:1 (January–March 2026) 43-47
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Carolyn Ladd, Book Review of “Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Families” by Judith Giesberg, National Genealogical Society Quarterly 113 (June 2025): 154-156
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“The Conflating of Two Sisters: Edwidge Hebert (Sister Mary Anastasia) and Anazzie Hebert,” Michigana, 69 (Fall 2023): 29-37
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The Marker Family of Maryland, Ohio, Iowa, and California: German Americans Moving West (Amherst: Genealogy House, 2023)
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Noble Ladd, Jr. (1753-1835) of Stokes County, North Carolina and Fayette County, Indiana (Seattle: Queen City Genealogy, 2023)
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Third place in the Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly’s Writing Contest 2023
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“Neighbors in Section 18, Jackson Township, Fayette County,” Indiana Genealogist 31 (March 2022): 4-9
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Winner of the Indiana Genealogical Society’s Genealogy Writing Award 2022
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