Oral history interview with John Brown

John Brown recalls the gatherings among Smithsonian leadership to plan a neighborhood museum, the first of its kind, which became the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum). He describes the relationship the Smithsonian had with the museum staff. He remembers the exhibit design process, and all of the staff members involved. He talks about the positive impact the museum had on the community, how it became a source of pride and uplifted the spirit of the neighborhood residents. He describes the many contributions of S. Dillon Ripley, Almore Dale and Alton Jones in developing the museum. The interview was recorded on June 16, 1991. The audio quality is clear throughout the recording, with some minor background noise.