I am one of those people who chose museum work as a career and started
working in a museum at entry-level. After taking one undergraduate museum
studies course I was hooked! Knowing there was something I could do with my
love of history other than teach was very liberating.  (As one of my
advisors said "You have great ability in search of a talent").   I moved to
Washington DC to be an intern/volunteer at the National Museum of American
History simply to gain experiance in how museums operate. I talked to alot
of people who held positions that looked interesting.  Based on their
advice I acquired a Master's Degree in US History.  While in Grad school I
volunteered with the State Historical Society of Iowa and when they offered
me an entry-level contract hire I took it.  That was in 1987. In 1990 I
became Registrar.

        Sounds easy, doesn't it?  I did what I had to do and took the
opportunities presented to get the job I wanted.  Which is a laugh because
when I decided on a museum career I didn't know there were such people as
registrars, curators, designers, conservators, educators  directors, etc.
All I knew is that I wanted to work with objects and that I could make
order out of chaos.  (I will admit to a silly notion that working in a
museum would be nice and genteel. Older and wiser am I). Being a Registrar
seems to be fate.

Jodi



Jodene K. Evans
Registrar
State Historical Society of Iowa
600 E. Locust
Des Moines, Iowa  50319-0290
515/281-3295
FAX 515/282-0502
e-mail [log in to unmask]