Bush Library and Museum Staff, Volunteer Honored With Archivist's Awards

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, May 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Several staff members and a volunteer from the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University were recently honored with awards from the Archivist of the United States.

The awards were presented for outstanding volunteer service and for completing a major museum collections inventory project.

Carol Dunham won the Weidman Outstanding Volunteer Service Award, which annually recognizes the work of National Archives and Records Administration volunteers who contribute thousands of hours in support of NARA's mission.

At the Bush Library and Museum, Dunham has contributed more than 7,000 hours over the past 15 years. During this time, she has worked in the volunteer office, the office of marketing and communications, the audio visual department, museum collections and the education department.

"Her commitment to the Library and Museum is simply extraordinary," said Sharon Merrell, Bush Library and Museum volunteer coordinator. "Her extraordinary efforts have led directly to the achievement of countless organizational goals and projects."

Dunham manages the requests for donations for silent auctions around the country, assists with security paperwork for all 150 volunteers at the library, and placed over 33,000 negative sheets into new acid-free folders for the audio visual department. She also has dressed up as Betsy Ross and Martha Washington for the annual Fourth of July celebration.

"A lot of people give their time to NARA. Carol does more than that. She inspires other volunteers to get involved and stay dedicated," Merrell said.

Several members of the museum collections staff won the Guardian Award, which is presented annually for outstanding achievement in providing greater security and accountability for the artifact holdings of the 13 Presidential Libraries.

The Bush Library and Museum collections staff completed a 100-percent inventory of more than 120,000 permanent and on-deposit artifacts, an undertaking that took five years.

"We were required to physically locate, enter specific information into the database, photograph, rehouse and assess each item," said Susie Cox, Bush Library and Museum curator.

The members of the museum collections staff who received the award are Susie Cox, curator; Jay Patton, registrar; and museum technicians Jabot' Colbin and Kathryn Burwitz.

"I'm extremely proud of each of these individuals and the essential work they do for the National Archives and the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. They reflect great credit upon the library and on our namesake, following President Bush's example of public service as a noble calling," said Bush Library and Museum Director Warren Finch.

Located on the campus of Texas A&M University – a premier public Tier 1 research university home to more than 50,000 students – the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is part of the National Archives and Records Administration's Presidential Libraries system. For more information go to bushlibrary.tamu.edu.

Media contact:
Will King
Marketing and Communications Director
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
(979) 691-4069  |  [email protected]

SOURCE George Bush Presidential Library and Museum