Washington, DC, May 6, 2015 — What grabs your interest in the National Museum of American History? Is it Dorothy’s ruby slippers, an actual 199-ton locomotive, Julia Child’s kitchen, or the first ladies’ gowns? John Gray presides over it all, and seeks even more ways to connect Americans with their history.
When David Bruce Smith, founder of the Grateful American™ Foundation, and executive producer Hope Katz Gibbs met with John Gray in his corner office atop the museum, he noted: “When you walk through the doors of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, you need to make a decision. Where should I look first?”
Competing for your attention are the museum’s more than three million artifacts, including Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” sheet music written by local legend Duke Ellington, and a section of the Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, the 1960 site of the sit-in for racial equality.
Image of John Gray courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
In the Grateful American™ TV video from inside the museum, Gray also explains:
- What he hopes people learn by the time they leave the museum.
- How he determines what people, especially kids, want to see in the Smithsonian.
- And, why he thinks it is important to mix the past with the present when it comes to history education.
John Gray also appeared in late April on Channel 8’s Let’s Talk Live, where he was interviewed by host Sonya Gavankar. Gray revealed:
- What his own favorite artifact in the museum is (“most of the time”).
- The museum’s plans to open an extensive new wing of exhibits on July 1.
- And, some of the artifacts that once belonged to the nation’s founders that help bring them to life.
Click here or on the video below to see their discussion.
What is the Smithsonian doing to help people, especially kids, become more interested in American history?
Read all about it at GratefulAmericanFoundation.com.
