Smithsonian Impresario

The memoir, Smithsonian Impresario, tells the story of the Smithsonian Institution at a critical juncture its history. Dillon Ripley, newly appointed Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, believed the venerable organization was "staid and stogy." His call for change was met with inertia and resistance. Historians, social scientists, researchers and curators were not natural change agents, yet change was desperately needed. Ripley believed the Smithsonian needed to become relevant to its public, and to congress. And unlike the 'nations attic" of old, the Smithsonian needed to create a new image, to address ignored minorities, to connect with the experiences of common people, to resonate with life - and to attract money. The solution? To appoint a new staff member - a non-museum person - an organizer with conceptual and production experience - someone to design and create a new era for the nation's museums. The person should be an entrepreneur, and an impresario. This memoir is about that person, James Morris and the important era of Smithsonian history in which he played a significant part.