Edson earned fine arts degrees at the Kansas City Arts Institute and Tulane University. But before entering academia, he ran a pottery and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador at ages 28 and 29. He taught at three other institutions of higher learning before beginning work at Tech on July 23, 1984. Edson's first challenge? "We should be accredited," he said. "This was a way to focus positive energy on accomplishing goals," Edson said. "Yes, we had a museum science program. We were preparing professionals. But we were not accredited. "From almost day one, that became my objective. It was a way to move the museum forward, but it took us a long time to accomplish." The Museum of Texas Tech was given accreditation by the American Association of Museums in 1989. There are approximately 17,500 museums in the United States. James Brink, associate vice provost of Heritage Consortium for the Natural and Historic Southwest, pointed out that accreditation "placed Tech in the top 5 percent of museums in the country. We can be justly proud of that prestige." Edson looks back over two decades and says, "Our audience is much more diverse today. By diverse, I am not referring to ethnicity. Rather, the museum is visited a lot more by families with children."
Ecuador RPCV Gary Edson to retire as director of the Texas Tech museum after 24 years there
Museum Master: Gary Edson to retire as director of the Texas Tech museum after 24 years there
By William Kerns | A-J ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Monday, August 17, 2009
Story last updated at 8/17/2009 - 1:16 am
Caption: Gary Edson, executive director of the Museum of Texas Tech, will retire on New Year's Eve. Edson has worked at the museum for 24 years. Photo: Merissa Ferguson/Lubbock Avalanc
Gary Edson had to be heavily recruited before he agreed to leave West Virginia University and become chairman of Texas Tech's art department in 1984.
Once he accepted the offer from William Conroy, Tech's dean of arts and sciences, and interacted with Tech's art faculty, the last thing on Edson's mind was moving across campus to become interim director at the Museum of Texas Tech.
As he recalls, he only agreed to help out as the museum's interim director for a summer and fall semester - fewer than six full months, actually.
Six months would escalate to more than 290 at the museum.
Edson turns 72 on Sept. 5. This month, he announced his intention to "retire on Dec. 31."
An international search will be made for his replacement.
Edson worked a quarter century at Tech, and wound up serving more than 24 years as executive director of the Museum of Texas Tech.
During that time, he elevated the museum to respected international status, helped usher in incredible growth at the facility and mentored countless museum science students.
Amy E. Polley, a 2000 Tech graduate in museum science and assistant vice president and director of the Legends of the Game Baseball Museum in Arlington, heralded Edson's accomplishments.
"Every aspect of the (Tech) museum has blossomed," said Polley. "There are new wings and research facilities. Donations have grown exponentially, and the museum science program was developed into the Center for Advanced Study of Museum Science and Heritage Management."
Eileen Johnson, curator of anthropology and director of Lubbock Lake Landmark, said, "Gary has taught me much about administration, consensus building, the benefits and responsibilities of stability, and making the hard decisions. His understanding and support has allowed me to grow ... and facilitated my programs to develop and flourish.
"After 24 years, I find it hard to imagine the museum without him and his wisdom."
Edson earned fine arts degrees at the Kansas City Arts Institute and Tulane University. But before entering academia, he ran a pottery and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador at ages 28 and 29.
He taught at three other institutions of higher learning before beginning work at Tech on July 23, 1984.
Scarcely a year later, Clyde Jones, whose official title was chairman of the department of museum science, resigned.
Conroy had become president of New Mexico State University. Donald Haragan was the new acting dean of arts and sciences at Tech.
It was Haragan, said Edson, who said, "I promise you'll only be there (the museum) six months." Later, it was Haragan who asked Edson to apply, reviewed his suggestions, then nominated him as the museum's executive director.
Haragan said this week, "I depended a lot on my ability to recognize talent and ability when I encountered it. ... The museum has grown in collections and stature because Gary understood the role of a university museum.
"Faculty members were involved at all levels, whose role was research as well as preservation, conservation and exhibits. As a result the Tech museum is an art museum, a science museum, a history museum as well as an educational arm of Texas Tech."
Haragan added, "Gary was the individual who initiated and participated actively in the graduate program in museum science. He understood the need and value of being an integral part of the university."
Edson's first challenge? "We should be accredited," he said.
"This was a way to focus positive energy on accomplishing goals," Edson said. "Yes, we had a museum science program. We were preparing professionals. But we were not accredited.
"From almost day one, that became my objective. It was a way to move the museum forward, but it took us a long time to accomplish."
The Museum of Texas Tech was given accreditation by the American Association of Museums in 1989.
There are approximately 17,500 museums in the United States. James Brink, associate vice provost of Heritage Consortium for the Natural and Historic Southwest, pointed out that accreditation "placed Tech in the top 5 percent of museums in the country. We can be justly proud of that prestige."
Edson looks back over two decades and says, "Our audience is much more diverse today. By diverse, I am not referring to ethnicity. Rather, the museum is visited a lot more by families with children."
He said that the community had once considered the museum a place for society's elite.
"Thank goodness that feeling has disappeared," noted Edson.
The donation of the Diamond M Foundation's collection saw the museum gain recognition.
"It caused a major shift," said Edson. "The addition of the Diamond M wing changed the footprint of the museum."
"Simply put, Gary Edson has been a dynamo for growth that the museum had desperately needed before his arrival," said David Dean, museum faculty member and the facility's director of information services.
"The museum has more than doubled in size under his tenure, and the museum's collections have blossomed to nearly 5 million objects."
The Diamond M Gallery wing, said Dean, was followed by the Helen DeVitt Jones Sculpture Court and Auditorium, a major addition to the Natural Science Research Laboratory and acquisition of the Lubbock Lake Landmark facilities and grounds, and their expansion.
"The Museum of Texas Tech is the largest institution of its kind within a radius of 300 miles, and this is due in large part to the leadership and vision of Edson," said Dean.
Edson feels that the identity of the museum was expanded and approved "when supervision of the Lubbock Lake Landmark changed from the state of Texas to Texas Tech."
A one-of-a-kind exhibit from the Vatican in 2002 - "Medieval Frescoes from the Vatican Museums Collection" - created "an immediate, important response," said Edson.
Yet he added, "It was a highlight, a very good promotion for the museum. But it was short term. And like all short-term exhibits, you have a peak and then a decline back to reality."
In fact, Edson emphasized that the museum's permanent exhibits "are about us."
Brink said, "Gary always paid homage to our region's treasures, the Ray and Lou Diekemper collection and the Evelyn and Bill Davis collection, just among several."
Edson never stopped being an educator and proudly stated, "Students in our museum science program do not have difficulty finding a first job."
He said, "We've grown intellectually. We are recognized internationally. But it couldn't happen without people like Robert Baker (curator of the Natural Science Research Laboratory), Eileen Johnson and (Sankar) Chatterjee (curator of paleontology division)."
Edson does regret being unable to finance a building project designed to provide more space for education programs.
But retirement will allow Edson to "go back to my art (drawing and printmaking) and see if I can still do it."
There are books he wants to write, but at this point, his mind is on "travel and fun."
Edson said, "My target date was 2010. I'll be a minute off, quitting on New Year's Eve. I prefer to walk away still loving what I do. I don't want to wake up grouchy every morning."
"Gary has always looked for creative ways to enable people to excel at their work," said Dean. "And in doing so, he enabled them to build one of the best museums in the country."
To comment on this story:
william.kerns@lubbockonline.com l 766-8712
shelly.gonzales@lubbockonline.com l 766-8747
PEOPLE/Gary Edson to retire as director of the Texas Tech museum after 24 years there
