RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Gary T. Johnson was named the eighth President of the Chicago History Museum ("CHM") in August 2005; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of Gary T. Johnson's retirement by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was educated at Harvard University (J.D.); Oxford University (Rhodes Scholar; M.A. Modem History); and Yale College (B.A. History and Political Science); and
WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson came to the Museum after 28 years as a lawyer and partner in the Chicago offices of two global law Finns, Mayer Brown and Jones Day; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson applied his distinctive creative and managerial skills to enhance the Museum's exhibitions, programs, and services, while simultaneously strengthening its collections, community profile, and fiscal integrity; and
WHEREAS, The museum, founded in 1856, is the oldest cultural institution in the city, and it had retained its original name the Chicago Historical Society, until a name change in 2006 as the Chicago History Museum; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson oversaw a $27 million fundraising campaign and implemented the Museum's 2006 reinvention, including renovating 75% of its space, and installing the highly praised Exelon Crossroads exhibition, the Museum's foundational overview of Chicago history; and
WHEREAS, During Mr. Johnson's tenure, CHM's annual attendance increased by 89% over a 10-year period and extended school visits to 60,000 students annually; and
WHEREAS, CHM launched a comprehensive education program that brings hands-on history learning into 120 Chicagoland schools in communities throughout the city; and
WHEREAS, Through a two-year pilot workshop program, CHM trained over 3,000 teachers and 200 principals and assistant principals; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson personally taught in over 300 Chicago classrooms over a 10-year period;and
WHEREAS, He managed the successful installation of widely praised special exhibitions including OUT in Chicago, which won the Amer...
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