Primary Job Title President Primary Organization 
Chicago History Museum
Location Chicago, Illinois, United States Regions Greater Chicago Area, Great Lakes, Midwestern US Gender Male
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Gary T. Johnson was named the eighth President of the Chicago History Museum in august 2005. Mr. Johnson is a lifelong Chicagoan and his passion for Chicago history is
evident through his leadership at the Chicago History Museum focusing on community outreach and strengthening the institution’s financial capacity.
Visiting Chicago’s grade
schools with artifacts from the Museum’s collection is a personal
commitment for Johnson. So far, he has visited over 300 classrooms in neighborhoods
throughout Chicago. “My desire for Chicagoans is not only to access our collections and
programs, but also to experience their own Chicago story.
Mr. Johnson also is President of Museums in the Park, the association of eleven of
Chicago’s major museums and he leads their Museums Work for Chicago campaign
comprising fifteen area cultural institutions. Johnson has a record of leadership in the civic
arena, particularly in civil rights.
Mr. Johnson came to the Museum after 28 years as a lawyer and partner in the Chicago
offices of two global law firms.
Harvard University (J.D. 1977); Oxford University (Rhodes Scholar; M.A. Modern History
1974); Yale University (Phi Beta Kappa; A.B. summa cum laude, History and Political
Science1972).
