American Association of Museums

Headquarters of AAM, Washington, D.C.

The American Association of Museums (AAM) is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community. AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future.

AAM is the only organization representing the entire scope of museums and professionals and nonpaid staff who work for and with museums. AAM currently represents more than 15,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, 3,000 institutions and 300 corporate members. Individual members span the range of occupations in museums, including directors, curators, registrars, educators, exhibit designers, public relations officers, development officers, security managers, trustees and volunteers.

Every type of museum is represented by the more than 3,000 institutional members, including art, history, science, military, maritime, and youth museums, as well as public aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens, arboretums, historic sites, and science and technology centers.

History

• 1906: Foundation
• 1911: Directory of North and South American museums published
• 1923: Headquarters established in Washington, D.C. (offices in the tower of the Smithsonian Castle)
• 1925: Code of Ethics for Museum Workers adopted
• 1925: $2,500 grant from the Carnegie Corporation for research on museum fatigue
• 1961: Museum directory published (4,600 institutions)
• 1964: Museums included in the National Arts and Cultural Development Act
• 1966: National Museum Act passed
• 1976: New constitution adopted

Strategic Plan

"The Spark"[1] is the first strategic plan in AAM’s recent history. It articulates a vision for museums, the field and AAM. The mission highlights AAM's commitment to leadership, advocacy, collaboration and service.

"The Spark" contains four goals: excellence, advocacy, sustainability and alignment.

Presidents/Chairpersons

• Hermon Carey Bumpus (1906–07), director of the American Museum of Natural History
• William M.R. French (1907–08)
• William Jacob Holland (1908–09)
• Frederick A. Lucas (1909–1910)
• Frederick J.V. Skiff (1910–11)
• Edward S. Morse (1911–12)
• Henry L. Ward (1912–13)
• Benjamin Ives Gilman (1913–14)
• Oliver C. Farrington (1914–16)
• Henry Howland (1916–18)
• Newton H. Carpenter (1918–19)
• Paul M. Rea (1919–21)
• Frederic Allen Whiting (1921–23)
• Chauncey J. Hamlin (1923–29)
• Fiske Kimball (1929–32)
• Paul J. Sachs (1932–36)
• Herbert E. Winlock (1936–38)
• Clark Wissler (1938–45)
• David E. Finley (1945–49)
• George H. Edgell (1949–51)
• Albert E. Parr (1951–53)
• William Milliken (1953–57)
• Edward P. Alexander (1957–60)
• Froelich G. Rainey (1960–63)
• Charles Van Ravenswaay (1963–66)
• Charles Parkhurst (1966–68)
• William C. Steere (1968–70)
• James M. Brown III (1970–72)
• Charles E. Buckley (1972–74)
• Joseph M. Chamberlain (1974–75)
• Joseph Veach Noble (1975–78, director of the Museum of the City of New York
• Kenneth Starr (1978–1980), director of Milwaukee Public Museum
• Craig C. Black, ( ), director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History
• Dan Monroe, ( ), director of Portland Art Museum
• Robert MacDonald (1985–1988), director of the Museum of the City of New York
• W. Richard West (1998–2000), director of the National Museum of the American Indian
• Louis Casagrande (2002–2004), director of the Boston Children's Museum
• Jeffrey Rudolph (2004–2006), director of the California Science Center
• Irene Hirano (2006–2008), director of the Japanese American National Museum
• Carl R. Nold (2008–2010), director of Historic New England

Directors/Presidents

• Charles R. Richards (1923–27), director of Cooper Union
• Laurence Vail Coleman (1927–58)
• Joseph Allen Patterson (1958–67)
• Kyran M. McGrath (1968–75)
• Richard McLanathan (1975–78)
• Lawrence L. Reger (1978–1986)
• Edward H. Able (1986–2006)
• Ford W. Bell (2007- )

See also

• Category:Institutions accredited by the American Association of Museums
• National Education Association
• Art Museum Partnership
• New England Museum Association
• Association of Art Museum Directors

External links

• AAM | Media and Technology Committee
• Official Website
• The AAM after 72 Years by Ellen C. Hirzy. Article published in Museum News, May/June 1978.
• AAM Centennial Timeline
• Registrar's Committee website