On June 30, colleagues gathered to honor John Edward Hasse for his 32 years of service as Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The speakers are: David J. Skorton, Secretary of the Smithsonian; John L. Gray, Director of the National Museum of American History; and Rep. John Conyers, Congress's leading champion of jazz. Secretary Skorton has named Hasse "Curator Emeritus," a lifetime honor. Rep. Conyers surprised Hasse by presenting him with a tribute he inserted into the Congressional Record
