NEW ORLEANS – January 30, 2007: The National World War II Museum has appointed a prestigious group of 17 professional historians and museum executives to serve as an education advisory board to President & CEO, Dr. Gordon “Nick” Mueller, as well as the Museum’s senior staff and trustees. The group met for the first time in November on the closing day of the Museum’s highly successful International Conference on World War II.
The group, called the Presidential Counselors, will advise on a broad range of research, education, film and programming issues and opportunities related to the strategic advancement of the Museum’s mission and outreach to regional, national and international audiences.
“With a multi-year, $300 million expansion of The National World War II Museum underway, it will be a great benefit to the Museum to have the participation of this notable group of scholars and museum executives,” said Mueller. “Just like Eisenhower relied on the advice of his best generals, we look forward to the good counsel of this group as the Museum continues to grow.”
The group will meet a minimum of once a year in person but will communicate year-round via teleconferences and email.
Presidential Counselors -
Rick Atkinson
Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist
Washington, D.C.
Dr. Guenter Bischof
Chairman, Department of History, University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Lonnie G. Bunch
Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institute
Washington, D.C.
Dr. Conrad C. Crane
Director, U.S. Army Military History Institute
Carlisle, PA
Col. William J. Davis (Ret.)
Executive Director, General Douglas MacArthur Foundation and MacArthur Memorial
Norfolk, VA
Dr. Michael Devine
Director, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum
Independence, MO
Dr. Paul H. Hebert
Executive Director, Cantigny First Division Foundation
Wheaton, IL
Dr. Daniel D. Holt
Director, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
Abilene, KS
Dr. Cynthia M. Koch
Director, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
Hyde Park, NY
Dr. Geoffrey Megargee
Applied Research Scholar, Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington, D.C.
Dr. Donald L. Miller
John Henry MacCraken Professor of History, Lafayette College
Easton, PA
Dr. Allan R. Millett
Director, University of New Orleans Eisenhower Center for American Studies
New Orleans, LA
Dr. Mark P. Parillo
Director, Institute for Military History and 20th Century Studies, Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS
Dr. Julian M. Pleasants
Director, Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Associate Professor and Project Director, U.S. Latino and Latina WWII Oral History Project, University of Texas
Austin, TX
Dr. Edward C. Tracy
Executive Director, The Tawani Foundation and Pritzker Military Library
Chicago, IL
Dr. Gerhard Weinberg
Professor Emeritus of History, University of North Carolina
Efland, NC
Dr. Richard H. Zeitlin
Director, Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Madison, WI
The National World War II Museum, dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum, has been designated by Congress as the country’s official National World War II Museum. The Museum illuminates the American experience during the war era and celebrates the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who won World War II. The National WWII Museum recently completed the first phase of a $300 million expansion that, when complete, will create a six-acre campus of exhibition and campaign pavilions, an advanced format 4-D theater, USO venue, and a research and conference center in downtown New Orleans.
For more information on programs and exhibits at the National World War II Museum, visit www.nationalww2museum.org or call 504-527-6012.