Founding Director named for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum
Secretary Bunch announced today that Dr. Elizabeth C. Babcock has been named director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, effective June 3. Currently the president and CEO of Forever Balboa Park in San Diego, Dr. Babcock brings more than two decades of museum leadership experience to her new role.
A cultural anthropologist and educator with experience in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors, Dr. Babcock has deep expertise in public engagement and education strategies, public-private partnerships and organizational development. As founding director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, she will set the vision for the museum and oversee the acquisition of a founding collection, curation of permanent and temporary exhibitions, and the expansion of its digital education resources.
Dr. Elizabeth C. Babcock (Photo by Debora Cartright)
Dr. Babcock currently serves as the first president and CEO of Forever Balboa Park, which acts as the City of San Diego’s key non-profit partner stewarding Balboa Park—1,200 acres of public gardens, trails, and open space along with dozens of cultural institutions receiving over 14 million annual visits. During her tenure, she has stewarded major capital improvement projects, including the restoration of the park’s historic carousel, secured the organization’s first operating agreement with the city of San Diego, crafted a multi-year strategic plan and advanced a multi-million-dollar campaign to restore the park’s iconic Botanical Building and Gardens.
Prior to leading Forever Balboa Park, Dr. Babcock served as the chief public engagement officer and Roberts-Wilson Dean of Education at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, where she managed a diverse portfolio—including the Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium, and Science Visualization Studio—secured multi-million-dollar grants and established innovative regional and national partnerships. Her leadership enabled the academy’s programs to serve 1.3 million visitors a year and reach an international digital learning audience of more than 20 million around the world.
Dr. Babcock also served as the vice president of education and library collections at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago from 2002 to 2010, and as an applied anthropologist in the museum, environmental and technological fields.
Dr. Babcock holds a Bachelor of Music in music education and Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Northwestern University and earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in anthropology from Indiana University.
Dr. Melanie Adams, director of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, has been serving as interim director of the Women’s History Museum. She will return to her position at the Anacostia Community Museum.
Since the establishment of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum in 2020, the Smithsonian has named a 25-member advisory council and has identified two optimal sites for the museum to be located, which are currently pending congressional approval. In addition, the museum has raised more than $65.5 million dollars to date.
“Having served as a founding director myself, I know how this position requires clear vision, leadership, and endless enthusiasm to bring history to life,” Secretary Bunch said. “Dr. Babcock has all three and so much more. She will use her museum and management expertise to unlock American women’s stories for our nation in ways that we can learn from the past to be inspired for the future. I am excited for both Dr. Babcock and the Smithsonian.
“Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth C. Babcock to her new role as founding director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum”
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Posted: 12 March 2024
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