Robert Archibald, Ph.D.

Excellence in Public Involvement

As President of the Missouri Historical Society since 1988, Dr. Archibald transformed a formerly traditional historical organization into a national model recognized for facilitating community discussion of significant issues. He was responsible for the expansion and renovation of the Missouri History Museum and initiated institution-wide efforts to engage the public in examination of the racial, social and economic issues that affect the past, present and future of the St. Louis region. He initiated the Bosnian Population Exhibit; Today's Girls, Tomorrow's Women; Through the Eyes of a Child, an African-American neighborhood oral history project; and Miles: A Miles David Retrospective, bringing together community participants from both sides of the Mississippi River. In response to September 11, 2001, he created the Community Response program conveying a broader understanding of Middle Eastern people. He has played a lead role in the Lewis and Clark: The National Bicentennial Exhibition. Recently Dr. Archibald wrote two books on exploring the relationship of museums and their communities.