Edward “Ted” Phillips
Position: Director, Exhibitions and Resources, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
(Courtesy of U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum/COURTESY OF U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM) - Edward \"Ted\" Phillips oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's well-known permanent exhibition as well as its traveling and special exhibitions.
Best known for: Phillips oversees the Holocaust Museum’s well-known permanent exhibition as well as its traveling and special exhibitions, making sure the horrifying history of Nazi Germany is told through a variety of media. The permanent exhibition includes a room of shoes that belonged to Holocaust victims and a German-built freight rail car that was one of several types used to transport Jews and other victims to concentration camps and killing centers. The museum’s traveling and special exhibitions highlight some lesser-known Holocaust stories, such as the Nazi persecution of homosexuals and the unethical medical experimentation of Jews.
Government service: Phillips joined the Holocaust Museum’s permanent staff in 1996 as special assistant to the director of exhibitions, a position funded with private money. He officially began his federal service in 1999 as deputy director of exhibitions and was named director in 2009.
Biggest challenge: Since part of his job is working with Holocaust survivors, a generation that the world is losing as time passes, a major future challenge is keeping their powerful stories alive through video. Currently, survivors are on hand at the museum on weekdays to tell visitors about their experiences. Phillips also must find enough artifacts relating to the Holocaust so the items can be rotated through the displays to prevent any damage because of fragility and light sensitivity.
Quote: “Originally, our program was looking at specific events of the Holocaust. Now we want topics that cover broader current themes and make us think about who we are as human beings in the 21st century. Nazi propaganda involves larger issues that still echo today.”
From the Partnership for Public Service
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