User:Mfritz177/sandbox

 Overview 

Gary T. Johnson is the current president of the Chicago History Museum and has been since 2005. Johnson was born in Chicago and grew up with interests in history and law. He practiced law for 28 years throughout Chicago before taking his current spot at the Chicago History Museum. He focuses on education outreach from the Museum to surrounding schools. His other prerogative is managing the finances of the Chicago History Museum and seeing that it can continue to function as an institution. Johnson also resides as the president of the Museums in the Park, where he oversees the Museums Work for Chicago campaign. The Museum in the Park functions as a coalition of the eleven Museums in Chicago that inhabit public-park property.

 Background and Education 

Johnson embraced history at young age and this guided his passion for pursuing the presidency of the Chicago History Museum after an extensive law career. He pursued a Bachelor in Arts in History and Politcal Science from Yale University. Furthering his studies, Johnson was accepted into the Rhodes Scholarship program and attended Oxford University, achieving a Master in Arts in Modern History. His primary focus was on the Anglo-Saxon Age of England. Even though history was always a passion, Johnson knew he wanted to be a lawyer. He then attained his law degree from Harvard University. At this point, he returned to Chicago to practice law.

 Law Career 

Once in Chicago, Johnson worked in two firms; these were Mayer Brown and Jones Day. He is able to legally practice law in Illinois, New York, and as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. Johnson also served in the American Bar Association's governing body, the House of Delegates, where he was the principal draftsmen of ABA policy on ethics. Due to his contributions on this policy, he was awarded the Presidential Commendation of the Illinois State Bar Association. He is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and of the Illinois State Bar Association, as well as a member of the American Law Institute. He also held presidency of the Chicago Council of Lawyers in Chicago from 1981 to 1983. As far as court experience goes, Johnson was a part of the Special Commission on the Administration of Justice in Cook County, Illinois. Within this position, he was a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Special Commission on the Administration of Justice and of the Criminal Justice Project of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

 Focus on Civil Rights 

While working in the law field, Johnson understood the importance of work in the civic realm. His focus was on civil rights. From 1987 yo 1996, Johnson was a member of the board of directors of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, which provides pro bono legal services for the poor; he also was president of the board from 1994 to 1996. Then from 2001-2003, he co-chaired the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which is a national civil rights organization; he is currently on their board of directors.

 Presidency 

Johnson was named the eighth president of the Chicago History Museum in August 2005. Since his focus is on education outreach, he makes it a point to visit local elementary schools. Johnson has reached out to 300 different classrooms in the Chicago. He also participated on the board of trustees of the Latin School of Chicago from 2009 to 2015. Furthering his drive for education, Johnson looks to the power of history to tell personal stories, motivating students to explore and discover new ideas. The drive for education is solidified in his collaboration with Dr. Barbara Radner of DePaul University; they constructed an idea called The Cross Cutting Concept of History to apply as a new learning model for history in schools. The other aspect of Johnson's position is maintaining the institution's financial capacity. Showcasing his proficiency in finance, Johnson worked with Russell Lewis, Executive Vice President and Chief Historian of the Chicago History Museum, on a book titled, "Lessons Learned in Non-Profit Management and Finance." Johnson also maintains himself as a member of WFMT's Radio Committee. He is also a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was on the selection committee for 2014 Pritzker Military Museum & Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing, in which Antony Beevor was selected.