Each week, the Archives features a woman who has been a groundbreaker at the Smithsonian, past or present, in a series titled Wonderful Women Wednesday.
Marilyn Zoidis was curator of the Star-Spangled Banner Project between 1999 and 2006 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. She worked to create a permanent exhibit that examined the flag and explored symbols of patriotism in the United States. During her time at the Museum, she was also the lead curator behind September 11: Bearing Witness to History (2002–03).
Following her time at the Smithsonian, Zoidis served as the director of the Kentucky Historical Society between 2006 and 2010 and as director of historical resources at The Henry Ford, beginning in 2010.
She arrived at the Institution with years of experience in public history. Zoisis had been the director for research and collections at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania and the executive director of the Freeport Historical Society and the Bangor Historical Society.
Zoidis earned a Master’s of Education degree from the University of Maine and a Master’s of Arts degree in American History from Carnegie Mellon University.
Related Resources
- “War-Torn and Age-Worn, Flag Restored Again” by Brenna Maloney, July 3, 2000, Washington Post
- “Star-spangled display in works for U.S. banner” by Jamie Stiehm, September 2, 2006, Baltimore Sun
- “Bringing New Life to Old Glory,” Maine, 80, no. 3 (1999): 26–29.