thedrifter
10-22-06, 09:14 AM
UIS graduate at core of Marines' museum
By DANIEL PIKE
STAFF WRITER
Published Sunday, October 22, 2006
Lin Ezell wasn't sure she'd be a serious candidate for the directorship of the new National Museum of the Marine Corps.
After all, the University of Illinois at Springfield graduate isn't a Marine. But she is a museum expert, having held several positions with the Smithsonian Institution for more than 20 years.
That was enough to get Ezell the job, although she's not going it alone.
"They have plenty of Marines, and I have a lot of adult supervision," said Ezell, who grew up in Fulton County. "A lot of generals are watching this project."
Ezell, who returned to UIS last week to participate in the college's annual Leadership Roundtable, was named director last year of the as-yet-unopened, state-of-the-art museum near the United States Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va.
The museum will open to the public Nov. 13, after a weekend of dedication ceremonies, including a visit from President Bush on Nov. 10 - the date recognized as the Corps' 231st birthday.
Ezell's appointment follows more than 30 years spent working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. While at the Smithsonian, Ezell was program manager for the planning, design, and construction of the 760,000-square foot Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which opened near Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport in 2003.
The Quantico facility is the first "official" national museum of its kind for any branch of the military, Ezell said. The idea is not only to honor Marines, but to offer the public a peek into the Corps' history.
"It's to allow the person who's never experienced the rigors of combat and the sacrifices that have to be made, for them to experience a little bit of what it's like," said Ezell, who graduated from UIS in 1974. "By doing so, you not only honor, but you get a good appreciation for how dear the price of our freedom comes."
The museum is a public-private venture between the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Legislation passed by Congress grants each military branch the option to build an "official" national museum, Ezell said, and the Marines are the first to complete the process.
"We were lucky to have such a passionate groundswell of support from Marines," Ezell said. "They say, 'Once a Marine, always a Marine.' There's no such thing as an ex-Marine. Many have done well and many have given generously to make this museum happen."
Ezell - who took the director's job after much of the design and construction was complete - said the "immersive environments" at the Marine museum are similar to Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which was trumpeted as an "experience" museum.
The conceptualized exterior recalls the famed flag raising on Iwo Jima, and folks connected to The Walt Disney Co. helped design high-tech interior exhibits that thrust visitors into battles from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
"There's so much competition for our time, and we have become accustomed to high-end virtual realities or high-end creative environments when we go to an amusement park or any kind of themed (location)," Ezell said. "For museums to be competitive and to capture the interest of demographically a broad audience, you've got to kind of keep up with the times."
But such an approach creates challenges, Ezell said. Immersive environments take up a lot of space, forcing designers to look elsewhere for traditional artifact exhibits. In 2008, the Marine museum will begin work on Phase II of the facility, which Ezell hopes will balance both sides of the museum's offerings.
Phase I, which will open next month, covers about 125,000 square feet. When the second phase is finished, the facility will total about 200,000 square feet, Ezell said.
Although Ezell wasn't involved in the Marine museum's early design, she endorses the celebration of all Marines, not just major historical names. She points out that eight anonymous portraits hang in a central hallway, which are intended to highlight both the individual and collective efforts of the Corps throughout American history.
"I think that's gutsy," Ezell said. "They didn't depend on the Smeldy Butlers and the Dan Daleys of the world or just the monumental battles you see on the movie screens, but on every individual Marine doing his or her job to accomplish a mission. "That's what was important at this museum."
Daniel Pike can be reached at 788-1532 or daniel.pike@sj-r.com.
Ellie
By DANIEL PIKE
STAFF WRITER
Published Sunday, October 22, 2006
Lin Ezell wasn't sure she'd be a serious candidate for the directorship of the new National Museum of the Marine Corps.
After all, the University of Illinois at Springfield graduate isn't a Marine. But she is a museum expert, having held several positions with the Smithsonian Institution for more than 20 years.
That was enough to get Ezell the job, although she's not going it alone.
"They have plenty of Marines, and I have a lot of adult supervision," said Ezell, who grew up in Fulton County. "A lot of generals are watching this project."
Ezell, who returned to UIS last week to participate in the college's annual Leadership Roundtable, was named director last year of the as-yet-unopened, state-of-the-art museum near the United States Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va.
The museum will open to the public Nov. 13, after a weekend of dedication ceremonies, including a visit from President Bush on Nov. 10 - the date recognized as the Corps' 231st birthday.
Ezell's appointment follows more than 30 years spent working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. While at the Smithsonian, Ezell was program manager for the planning, design, and construction of the 760,000-square foot Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which opened near Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport in 2003.
The Quantico facility is the first "official" national museum of its kind for any branch of the military, Ezell said. The idea is not only to honor Marines, but to offer the public a peek into the Corps' history.
"It's to allow the person who's never experienced the rigors of combat and the sacrifices that have to be made, for them to experience a little bit of what it's like," said Ezell, who graduated from UIS in 1974. "By doing so, you not only honor, but you get a good appreciation for how dear the price of our freedom comes."
The museum is a public-private venture between the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Legislation passed by Congress grants each military branch the option to build an "official" national museum, Ezell said, and the Marines are the first to complete the process.
"We were lucky to have such a passionate groundswell of support from Marines," Ezell said. "They say, 'Once a Marine, always a Marine.' There's no such thing as an ex-Marine. Many have done well and many have given generously to make this museum happen."
Ezell - who took the director's job after much of the design and construction was complete - said the "immersive environments" at the Marine museum are similar to Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which was trumpeted as an "experience" museum.
The conceptualized exterior recalls the famed flag raising on Iwo Jima, and folks connected to The Walt Disney Co. helped design high-tech interior exhibits that thrust visitors into battles from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
"There's so much competition for our time, and we have become accustomed to high-end virtual realities or high-end creative environments when we go to an amusement park or any kind of themed (location)," Ezell said. "For museums to be competitive and to capture the interest of demographically a broad audience, you've got to kind of keep up with the times."
But such an approach creates challenges, Ezell said. Immersive environments take up a lot of space, forcing designers to look elsewhere for traditional artifact exhibits. In 2008, the Marine museum will begin work on Phase II of the facility, which Ezell hopes will balance both sides of the museum's offerings.
Phase I, which will open next month, covers about 125,000 square feet. When the second phase is finished, the facility will total about 200,000 square feet, Ezell said.
Although Ezell wasn't involved in the Marine museum's early design, she endorses the celebration of all Marines, not just major historical names. She points out that eight anonymous portraits hang in a central hallway, which are intended to highlight both the individual and collective efforts of the Corps throughout American history.
"I think that's gutsy," Ezell said. "They didn't depend on the Smeldy Butlers and the Dan Daleys of the world or just the monumental battles you see on the movie screens, but on every individual Marine doing his or her job to accomplish a mission. "That's what was important at this museum."
Daniel Pike can be reached at 788-1532 or daniel.pike@sj-r.com.
Ellie