LBJ Library Director Steps Down

Photo by John Anderson

The LBJ Library announced last week that Library Director Mark Updegrove will be resigning his directorship March 1, in order to accept a position as the CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum, planned for Mt. Pleasant, S.C., at "Patriots Point" on Charleston Harbor. Updegrove has been the library director since 2009, and is credited with supervising the library's redesign and significantly increasing attendance. He has recruited prominent speakers – among them Mikhail Gorbachev, Sandra Day O'Connor, John Lewis, Hank Aaron, et al. – and hosted memorable "summit" reconsiderations of historical periods, including the 2016 Vietnam War Summit and the 2014 Civil Rights Summit, featuring a keynote address by President Barack Obama. Said Updegrove, "Serving as director of the LBJ Library has been the greatest honor in my career to this point. I'm proud of the team I've led and all we've done to elevate the legacy of President Lyndon Johnson and enhance the library's reputation as a pre-eminent forum for thought leadership."