Louise Daniel Hutchinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louise Daniel Hutchinson
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Louise Daniel Hutchinson, at the Anacostia Community Museum, seated in her office, 1983.
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| Born | June 3, 1928 Ridge, Maryland |
| Died | October 12, 2014 (aged 86) |
| Education | Miner Teachers College, University of the District of Columbia, Prairie View A&M University |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Genre | non-fiction |
| Subject | history |
| Literary movement | Civil Rights Movement |
| Notable works | Anacostia Community Museum |
Louise Daniel Hutchinson (born June 3, 1928, died October 12, 2014) was an important American historian. She used to be the Director of Research at the Anacostia Community Museum.
Growing up in Washington, D.C., she learned about the Civil Rights Movement. This taught her how important communities are. Louise worked closely with the African American community in Washington, D.C. She also worked with people from the Smithsonian Institution. Together, they helped create the Anacostia Community Museum. She was a historian who studied the Anacostia community.
Contents
About Louise Daniel Hutchinson
Her Early Life and School Days
Louise Daniel Hutchinson was born in Ridge, Maryland. But she grew up in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C.. Her parents, Victor Daniel and Constance Eleanor, were both teachers. They ran the Cardinal Gibbons Institute, a school for Black Catholic students. This school was like Tuskegee University.
Her mother knew famous people like Mary McLeod Bethune and Carter G. Woodson. Both of Louise's parents were very active in local African American community matters. This included working for civil rights. As a young person, Louise even went to the Brown v. Board of Education court hearings in Kansas.
Louise went to her parents' school first. Then she attended several colleges. These included Miner Teachers College (now University of the District of Columbia) and Prairie View A&M University. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1951 from Howard University. At Howard, she studied with important thinkers like Ralph Bunche. Soon after, she married Ellsworth W. Hutchinson, Jr. They had six children together. She also worked as a substitute teacher.
Her Career as a Historian
Working at the Smithsonian
Hutchinson started working at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in 1971. She was a researcher. She studied portraits of African Americans, like those related to John Brown. She also helped with an exhibit called The Black Presence in the Era of the American Revolution.
The next year, she became an Education Research Specialist. In this role, she worked on projects between the museum and D.C. Public Schools.
Working for the National Park Service
In 1973, Louise took a similar job. She became an Education Research Specialist at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. This site is managed by the National Park Service. There, she taught staff how to explain the history of the memorial to visitors.
Returning to the Smithsonian
In 1974, Hutchinson returned to the Smithsonian Institution. She became the Historian and Director of Research at the Anacostia Community Museum (ACM). She helped write the museum's goals. She also found objects for the museum's collection. She made connections stronger with other Smithsonian museums and the local neighborhood.
She researched many topics for museum exhibits. These included The Anacostia Story: 1608-1903, which was about the Anacostia community. Other exhibits were The Frederick Douglass Years and Black Women: Achievements Against the Odds. Hutchinson also started the museum's oral history program. She helped create the Anacostia Historical Society.
Louise Hutchinson's work greatly influenced her writings. Her book about Anna J. Cooper was called an "important contribution" to American history. Hutchinson also focused on helping the public. She gave advice and information to students, teachers, and history fans. She retired in 1986.
Her Later Years
Louise Daniel Hutchinson passed away on October 12, 2014. She was 86 years old.
Selected Works
- Hutchinson, Louise Daniel. The Anacostia Story, 1608-1930. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press (1977). ISBN: 0874745330
- Hutchinson, Louise Daniel. Anna J. Cooper, a voice from the South. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press (1982). ISBN: 0874745284
- Hutchinson, Louise Daniel. Out of Africa: From west African kingdoms to colonization. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press (1979). ISBN: 0874745349
