National Museum of American History (U.S.) Department of History Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.) Division of Cultural History Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.) Division of Culture and the Arts Search this
Type:
Mixed archival materials
Date:
1994
1994-
Category:
Agency History
Notes:
This is an agency history. It does not describe actual records. The Smithsonian Institution Archives uses these histories as brief accounts of the origin, development, and functions of an office or administrative unit to set that unit in its historical context. To find information on record holdings, please double-click the highlighted field "Creator/Author", which will open on a brief view of relevant records.
E-mail from Ray Kondratas to James Steed, 01/21/00
Annals of the Smithsonian Institution, 1994-1996
National Museum of American History website, https://americanhistory.si.edu/, 2003-2022
Cultural history as a category of historical studies at the Smithsonian has applied to different levels of organization at different times. In 1994 as a result of major reorganization in the National Museum of American History a Division of Cultural History was created as one element of a new Department of History. It includes such fields as ethnic studies, sports, popular culture, music, painting and sculpture, and theater and film. James Merle Weaver was Chairman, 1995-1997; succeeded by Ramunas Kondratas, 1998; Rex M. Ellis, 1999-2001; Rayna Green, 2002-2004; Gary Sturm, 2005-2008; and Stacey Kluck, Acting Chair, 2009-2010, Chair, 2011- . The Division of Cultural History was renamed the Division of Culture and the Arts, with the addition of graphic arts and photographic history, in October 2009. In 2019, the division changed its name to the Division of Cultural and Community Life.
Staff have included Richard E. Ahlborn, Curator, 1994-2002, and Curator Emeritus, 2002-2015; Dwight Blocker Bowers, Public Program Specialist, 1995-1997, Historian of Theater and Film, 1997-2012, Curator, 2012-2015, Curator Emeritus, 2015- ; Anthony Brown, Curator 1994-1996; Rayna Green, Director American Indian Program, 1994-2014; John Edward Hasse, Curator, 1994-2017; Cynthia A. Hoover, Curator, 1994-2004, and Curator Emeritus, 2004- ; James Oliver Horton, 1994- ; Niani Kilkenny, Director, Program in African American Culture, 1994-2004; Charles McGovern, Curator, 1994-2003; Marvette Perez, Curator, 1994-2013; Harry Rand, Curator, 1994- ; Ellen Roney Hughes, Museum Specialist, 1974- ; Kenneth Slowik, Director, Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, 1994- ; Alonzo Nelson Smith, Research Historian and Associate Curator, 1994-2005; Gary Sturm, Executive Director, Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, 1994- ; Susan Ostroff, Museum Specialist; David H. Shayt, Museum Specialist; Shannon Thomas Perich, Curator; and Michelle Anne Delaney, Associate Curator, 1989-2009, and Curator, 2009-2010.
For a history of the larger creating unit, refer to "Forms part of above."
Repository Loc.:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Capital Gallery, Suite 3000, MRC 507; 600 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20024-2520
