[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 16, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING GARY T. JOHNSON ON HIS RETIREMENT

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                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 16, 2021

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Gary T. 
Johnson on concluding a lengthy and illustrious career as President and 
CEO of the Chicago History Museum.
  After nearly three decades of legal practice in Chicago, Gary made 
his arrival at the Chicago History Museum in 2005, beginning his tenure 
as President by transitioning the Chicago Historical Society into the 
Chicago History Museum as we know it today.
  For more than 15 years, Gary spent his time as President focusing on 
community outreach and strengthening the institution's financial 
capacity. Along the way, he also headed Museums in the Park, a group of 
11 museums on land owned by the Chicago Park District.
  During his time as President, Gary brought significant improvements 
to the museum. He completed a $27 million campaign and implemented the 
Museum's 2006 ``reinvention,'' which included renovating 75 percent of 
its space, announcing a name change, and installing the highly praised 
Exelon Crossroads exhibition, the Museum's foundational overview of 
Chicago history. Additionally, he increased the museum's annual 
attendance by 89 percent over a 10-year period and extended school 
visits to 60,000 students annually.
  One of Gary's most important and more recent accomplishments was the 
completion of the landmark five-year, $50 million This Is Chicago 
campaign, an effort which involved raising $11 million for the museum's 
endowment, acquiring millions of artifacts, increasing education 
program offerings, and more.
  Educated at Yale College, Oxford University, and Harvard Law School, 
Gary never lost his commitment to supporting the educational 
aspirations of students in Chicago and beyond. For over ten years, he 
led the Rhodes Scholarship selection process for the district that 
includes Illinois, while also dedicating his time to visiting over 300 
of Chicago's grade schools--bringing with him artifacts from the 
Museum's collection to ensure that all Chicagoans had access to the 
city's greatest treasures.
  Madam Speaker, please join me and all of our colleagues in the House 
of Representatives in recognizing Mr. Gary T. Johnson's years of 
service to the City of Chicago and congratulating him on his 
retirement.

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