Beyond ‘cool artifacts’: Missouri History Museum names new leader who values past, future

Jody Sowell, 49, who has labored for the museum for 16 years, on Thursday was named the subsequent president of the Missouri Historic Society, which operates the museum, the MHS Library & Analysis Middle and the Troopers Memorial Army Museum.

His appointment by the society trustees and Historical past Museum Subdistrict commissioners takes impact July 11, after the retirement of present president Frances Levine.

He stated he likes to inform folks: “I really like St. Louis. I did not develop up right here, however I bought right here as quick as I might.”

Sowell will information the society’s ongoing capital marketing campaign, thus far a quiet effort to lift $50 million to offer important assets for reveals, collections and different wants. About $15 million has been raised.

As well as, he stated on Thursday, the subsequent decade will probably be busy with efforts to remake core galleries, introducing a brand new World’s Truthful gallery and a brand new decade-by-decade stroll by way of St. Louis historical past. He needs to digitize extra of the society’s assortment: Proper now, solely about 5% of holdings are digitized. 

“Within the coming years and many years, you will note extra of the Missouri Historical past Museum than you ever have earlier than,” he stated. 

He has been and can proceed to be centered on ensuring exhibitions and staffing is numerous, he stated. Upcoming reveals will vary from St. Louis baseball to immigration, segregation and LGBTQ histories. 

“I feel you may be listening to much more about how we’re a a part of connecting folks to the previous however in an effort to make them extra within the current and invested in the way forward for St. Louis,” he stated.

Sowell has “already contributed drastically to the success of the Missouri Historical past Museum in reaching broader audiences,” Lisa McLaughlin, chair of the society’s board of trustees and of the search committee, stated in a information launch. “He’ll proceed the momentum of the Society as a nationally acknowledged, award-winning instructional and cultural establishment that St. Louisans are rightfully pleased with.”

Sowell, now managing director of public historical past for the society, will probably be its seventh president and earn a wage of $275,000, the bottom among the many 5 tax-supported subdistricts of the town’s Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District. Taxes cowl about half of the society’s $22 million annual finances; the remaining comes from donations, memberships and the society’s endowment.

Sowell’s choice follows a yearlong nationwide search, partnering with outdoors advisor Museum Search & Reference of Londonderry, New Hampshire, the society stated.

President Frances Levine, who introduced her retirement in July, was the primary girl to direct an establishment within the Zoo-Museum District. Appointed in 2014, her present base wage is $350,000. 

“Jody and I’ve labored collectively so effectively, and I do know he has the long-term well being of the Missouri Historic Society — and dedication to MHS, the workers and the group — at coronary heart,” Levine stated in an announcement. “Jody is inventive, articulate and enthusiastic. I discovered my love of St. Louis from listening to Jody, and I do know he’ll convey every part he has to the function.”

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Sowell grew up in Arkansas. His bachelor’s and grasp’s levels are in journalism. The latter was from the College of Missouri-Columbia, and his first job was on the Dallas Morning Information. His doctorate is in American research from St. Louis College.

American research covers artwork, tradition and historical past, much like what a museum does, he stated. His focus for the diploma was post-World Warfare II city historical past. He lives together with his spouse and two daughters, the youngest college-bound within the fall, in Tower Grove South.

Sowell was engaged on his doctorate when he joined the society in 2006 as an oral historian and served as director of exhibitions and analysis earlier than turning into managing director of public historical past in 2019. In accordance with the society, he helped as director of exhibitions to develop extra reveals in-house in progressive methods slightly than depend on touring reveals.

In accordance with the information launch, in Sowell’s six years as director of exhibitions, the Missouri Historical past Museum opened eight of its 10 most-visited exhibitions, together with “250 in 250,” “#1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Wrestle in St. Louis,” “The Louisiana Buy” and “A Stroll in 1875 St. Louis.”

He additionally oversaw improvement of the Historical past Clubhouse, the museum’s first everlasting exhibition for youngsters, the announcement stated. It was honored in 2016 by the American Affiliation of State and Native Historical past.

Earlier than the pandemic, attendance on the free museum had risen previous 400,000 guests yearly. It is not again to that degree but, Sowell stated. Attendance has been sturdy for “St. Louis Sound,” he stated, and for the Twilight Thursday live performance sequence. Extra scholar teams are visiting. 

He does not think about different museum exhibitions to be competitors. However he does think about issues reminiscent of telephones, TikTok and residential leisure a problem for attendance.

“If historic societies aren’t consistently reinventing themselves, they are not going to outlive,” he stated. 

The Missouri Historic Society must be seen as shaping the way forward for St. Louis, as effectively. Such societies are the “finest locations to be taught in regards to the context of latest points and to dream about and debate the way forward for these points,” he stated, reminiscent of St. Louis’ inhabitants loss, city-county divide and segregation.

A historical past museum is not only a place to see “cool artifacts,” he stated: “You need to know you possibly can come to a historical past museum to study how we bought there and the way we will enhance on these points.”