Rebecca Lukens: A woman of iron
A sudden tragedy thrust Rebecca Lukens into the family business and into history, making her the nation’s first woman industrialist and the...
How one girl helped build a Latinx civil rights movement
As a little girl, Jessica Govea had become accustomed to rising early and making her way to the fields with her family. During the cotton...
Pennies and nickels add up to success: Maggie Lena Walker
Maggie Lena Walker was one of the most important Black businesswomen in the nation, and today too few people have heard of her.Maggie Lena...

Blog Posts in "Donor Spotlight"

Scan of citizenship document
Donor traces his family's roots, supports museum research
After opening the new innovation floor of the west wing this summer, the museum is looking forward to the second floor, which will open in...
Woman faces camera and smiles. She is wearing a small microphone. Standing in a kitchen/stage. Avocado on counter top. Cabinets behind her.
Pati Jinich is passionate about food history
From the 2012 opening of the exhibition FOOD: Transforming the American Table, 1950–2000 to the most recent inaugural Smithsonian...
A life-changing internship experience, thanks to the Hagan family
We recently shared a blog post featuring Bette and Lindsey Hagan, the mother and daughter who through their generous support created the...
Bette and Jim Hagan, 1980
The Hagan internship honors a history lover's legacy with a focus on women's history
With each new season, a new crop of interns comes to the National Museum of American History. Two museum supporters, Bette and Lindsey...
Photograph of the museum's exterior
Donors support their daughters' favorite museum, help build new learning spaces
The museum is excited to be opening its transformed first floor of the west wing this summer, including the Patrick F. Taylor...
Revealing historic sound recordings, with donors' help
What motivates donors to give to museums? As a development intern at the National Museum of American History, I was curious to find out.One...
I do! History-loving couple gets engaged at the museum
Getting to know the museum's donors and council members is one of my favorite parts of being the manager of the Smithsonian Council for...
Julia Child's home kitchen, with its hundreds of tools, appliances, and furnishings
Chatting about food history with food leader Lynne Breaux
From the 2012 opening of the exhibition FOOD: Transforming the American Table, 1950–2000 to its upcoming FOOD in the Garden...
One woman looks at Abraham Lincoln's wedge tool while another holds it
Donor Spotlight: Preserving the past for the future
Individual Giving Associate Lauren Collette spotlights museum member Shirley Loo. Loo grew up in Hawaii and didn't visit the Smithsonian...
Mr. Peanut and Antonio Gentile: A trademark that defined a life
Packaging designer Walter Landor once said, "Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind." One of the most iconic...
Etched in time: Douglas Stiles and Abraham Lincoln
On Abraham Lincoln's 205th birthday, intern Kate Fuljenz shares the story behind an etching on Lincoln's gold pocket watch from the...
Color photograph of graveyard with white crosses, four trees, sun shining
A parallel journey: A grandson's tribute to a World War I hero
Thinking about researching a relative's wartime experiences? Jeff Lowdermilk's story of researching his grandfather's military service may...
Del Mar Avionics Dynamic Electrocardiography Systems, 1976
Donor spotlight: A century of achievement, the commitment of a lifetime
Bruce Del Mar pointing to the Del Mar Avionics Holter monitoring system on displayIf your life spanned nearly an entire century of American...
Donor Spotlight: 2,656 miles, round-trip
How far would you drive to visit the National Museum of American History? When I first met Museum donor David Garrett, I was amazed to hear...
Donor Spotlight: A gift for the future
As a museum employee, I have come to appreciate the amount of work, time, and expense that goes into developing an exhibition. The current...
Donor Spotlight: A passion for political history
How do you want to be remembered after you’re gone? People often wonder what kind of legacy they will leave behind. Wanda Shalett found an...
Donor Spotlight: Doug Morton and Marilyn Brown
I decided to intern at the National Museum of American History because I love history and sharing that interest with others. I always get...
Donor Spotlight: Ed and Diane Straker
What is a slide rule? As a product of the computer generation, my knowledge of these tools is virtually nonexistent. Recently, I had the...
Donor spotlight: Bill and Alice Konze...history is the story
I still remember the day when my seventh grade teacher wrote the word history on the blackboard as two words: “HIS STORY.” Wow, I thought....
Donor Spotlight: Honoring a father's quiet patriotism
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is the first in a new series that will profile some of the museum’s generous donors.Each Veterans Day, the...
Thanking our legacy donors
Recently, Director Brent Glass hosted a “thank you” luncheon for a small group of the museum’s planned giving donors. The highlight was a...
America’s Funniest…cocktail party
Los Angeles. The Entertainment Capital of the World. What better place could there be for a presentation on the Smithsonian’s comedy...