Hammons, Carlyn C

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East Texas Historical JournalVolume 49 | Issue 2 Article 1210-2011Interpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enough, orWhy can't it be all about Mr. Sam?Carlyn C. HammonsFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ethjPart of the United States History CommonsTell us how this article helped you.This Article is brought to you for free and open access by SFA ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in East Texas Historical Journal by anauthorized administrator of SFA ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact cdsscholarworks@sfasu.edu.Recommended CitationHammons, Carlyn C. (2011) "Interpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enough, or Why can't it be all about Mr. Sam?," East Texas HistoricalJournal: Vol. 49: Iss. 2, Article 12.Available at: http://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ethj/vol49/iss2/12East Texas HiJLorical JournalInterpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enoug"~ Or Wily Can 'I It Be AllAbout Mr Sam?By CARLYN COPELAND HAMMONSFor more than twenty years, one book has served as the staplepublication for anyone thinking about establishing a museum: StartingRight: A Basic Guide to Museum Planning is used by organizationssuch as the American Association of Museums, the Texas Association ofMuseums, and the Texas Historical Commission. They all recommendit as one of the first resources for community groups to study beforemoving forward with any museum plans. (n clear and candid language,the author succinctly details what a museum is, what responsibilitiesthe new founders will face, and in what order the planning steps shouldbe completed.For almost eighteen years, Starting Right helped guide substantialnumbers of museums to a solid beginning. An updated edition appearedin 2004 that addressed current museum trends and issues. While some ofthese updates-including the role of technology and new professionalstandards-were quite predictable, a new chapter posed some importantquestions and a word of caution: [t counsels....----think twice before youbegin a project to open a house museum. 1Such advice and the questions it suggests are notable. How manyhouse museums already exist within a few hours' drive of the proposedlocation? How many show and say the same thing every time youvisit? Have you visited one more than once? How many of these housemuseums are open half-days, on weekends only, or just by appointment?How many are suffering from deferred maintenance to the pointthat even the casual observer can see it? Can a new museum-andshould it even want t~ompetewith them for money, visitors, staff,and volunteers?The author's point is simple: '"The last half-century has seen manywonderful building museums develop; it has also seen many declineinto a kind of limbo from which they never really prosper nor fullydie."2 The challenges facing museums today are great. It is not realisticCarlyn Hammons is a specialist in the Museum Services Program at theTexas Historical Commission in Austin.94VOL. XLIX, No. 2 EAST TEXAS HISTORICAL JOURNAL FALL 2011Interpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enough?to function in the same old way and expect succeSS----<>T even to stay inbusiness at all.Concerned parties have considered the challenges, not onlyindividuals and groups who have contemplated beginning a housemuseum~ but museum professionals and historic preservationists, aswell. They have asked the hard questions not only to those with plansfor future house museums, but also to those six to eight thousandexisting institutions across America. Professional organizational studiescontinue to show that house museums across the country struggle withsustainability. and many now face a critical situation because they areseemingly out of touch with the needs of changing communities andperennially underfunded. J Even the president of the National Trustfor Historic Preservation finally asked, "Are there too many housemuseums?,~4It is beyond the scope and purpose ofthis short article to investigatefu Ily the pred icament fac ing the house museums ofour country, but it isimportant that any discussion that concerns the operation and programsof a historic house museum be prefaced with at least some mentionof the current professional climate. There are approximately 502 smaJ Ihistory museums in Texas. One hundred and fifty of them reside inhistoric houses.s The need to stand out and offer something unique isparamount. The prospective visitor needs to have a reason to choose tostop at one house museum over any of a host ofothers. A good exampleto analyze and measure is a small museum, such as Bonham's SamRayburn House.The easy and most obvious operational attraction, of course,is "Mr. Sam.'~ No other house museum can claim distinction as theRayburn family "Home Place"-it is one of a kind. Few politicianscan claim a career as distinctive as the one Sam Rayburn enjoyed. He,also, was one of a kind. Sam Rayburn held elective office for 55 years,including 48 consecutive years in the U.S. House of Representatives,and 17 as Speaker of the House.6 Today, many historians consider himas one of the greatest U.S. statesmen ever. When he was not in theHouse in Washington, Rayburn was at home in Bonham, Texas.On the surface, these might sound like enough interesting facts tosustain strong interest in a house museum dedicated to Mr. Sam. Uponcloser examination, one discovers that even a unique figure such asRayburn in this one-of-a-kind setting cannot exempt the museum from95FALL East Texas Historical Journal 201196the difficulties facing all historic house museums. Shared difficulties,such as financial health, good maintenance plans, and accuratepreservation, are all present for house museums, but one of the mostchal1enging-and the one we will focus on here-is interpretation andits increased importance to museum exhibits and material culture.Interpretative methodology has changed significantly in recentyears. Successful museums must constantly evaluate and improveinterpretive techniques and programs in order to keep up with changingand evolving populations and audiences. Age, migration patterns,education, economics, and belief systems-not to mention changingcultural values-are all factors that change and shape the way peopleunderstand the past.7 As audiences evolve, and as their expectationsof historic resources change, so too must the ways in which museumsinterpret resources.The challenge is compounded by the fact that it must all happenin a virtually unchanging exhibit environment. Most objects on displayin a typical historic house museum rarely change or move. The SamRayburn House Museum looks nearly thc same as it did when it firstopened thirty years earlier. The house is designed to capture a moment intime-1961, the year ofMr. Sam'5 death- thus it will continue to lookthe same thirty, sixty, ninety years in the future. This is the very essenceof historlc house museums. It is also the reason so many fall into thetrap of the standard, object-based interpretation, and why interpretiveprograms, such as tours, often remain unchanged for decades.8There was a time that such a presentation was enough. After all,this is very recent history-Mr. Sam died less than fifty years ago,and the house opened as a museum just over a decade after his death.In its earliest years, and to some extent today, many of Rayburn'scontemporaries were still around. These people knew, admired, andrespected him. He represented their interests and they appreciated whathe did for them; fann to market roads, rural electricity, and the jobs inwar-time industries meant a lot for these people. In some respects, manywere in awe of Rayburn. After all, he was the second most powerfulman in the U.S. government, and he lived in their backyard.Being in his house and seeing his things was enough for mostvisitors and allowed them to forge personal connections with him. Thisis Mr. Sam shat. I remember when he wore it in the town parade. Hereis where he sat and visited with presidents, senators, etc. I rememberInterpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enough?when President Truman came to the house; I shook hands with him righthere in this spot. 9 They brought their children and grandchildren to thehouse so they could share memories. Previously, facilitating that tripdown memory lane-and the resulting sense ofnostalgia-was enough.Declining numbers of visitors persuaded professionals that newpractices were in order. As the population ages the people who personallyremember Rayburn are vanishing; and audiences must now be educatedabout who he was, what he did, and why it was so important. But eventhat's not enough. People want more. Museums are moving awayfrom the "great man" interpretation of history. Retaining the interestof visitors through the exploits and artifacts of a famous or wealthyhead of household is no longer enough to sustain a historical museum.Such a one-sided interpretation occurs at the expense of the site's otherfeatures, activities, purposes, and relationships, and jeopardizes notonly the museum's own credibility, but also its broad public appeal. lOAs our audience becomes more diverse, museums must strive toentertainand attract them. Rather than focusing oninfonnation specific tothe site, museums are finding it necessary to expand their interpretationsto include multi-layered content that represents themes beyond the siteboundaries, ones that extend to larger historical contexts. I I One wayto achieve such a goal is to identify the multiplicities that exist in anyhousehold and incorporate various perspectives in the interpretation. 12In the case of the Sam Rayburn House Museum, this can beaccompJished by including the perspectives of other people withconnections to the Rayburn Home Place, which can include any of thevarious family members who occupied the house through the years,the household employees-including cooks, groundskeepers, and fannhands-as well as the perspectives of Rayburn's constituents.Throughout its history the house meant something differentto each person. For Mr. Sam, it was a quasi-respite from his work inWashington, a place to connect with the people of his district. Formembers of his immediate and extended family, it was a home, a placeof residence. For others it was a place to work, and for still others itwas a place ofpersonal connection to politics, a place to seek assistancefor a political need. Exploring different perspectives provides theopportunity to build multi-layered and thematic interpretation, whichin tum places the Rayburn household in a larger historical context. Themuseum is thus able to interpret many different aspects of the cultural,97FALL East Texas Historical Journal 201198political~ and social history of early-to mid-20th century North Texas-including the role of politics in rurallife~ race relations, women's roles,agricultural trends~ and daily domestic life.Every tourofthe house includes a stop in the kitchen. When visitorssee the Crosley freezer and the Chambers gas range, they understandthat Rayburn enjoyed modem conveniences. However, did he reallyspend much time in the kitchen? Are stories from his perspective reallythe best ones for the kitchen to tell? Perhaps better told are the storiesof the household cook who is naturally more intimately connected tothe kitchen.Thus, the House interprets through the eyes of Bobbie Phillips,a local African American woman who served as the Rayburn familycook for many years. Such an approach provides the opportunity tolook beyond the physical evidence of the technological advances offood preparation~ which gives the visitor the opportunity, and themuseum the chance, to explore larger social and political issues. Whatother occupational opportunities did minority women like Bobbie haveat this time? How is this kitchen, with its modem appliances, differentfrom one she probably had at home? How would she and her familyhave benefited from some of Rayburn's more significant politicalaccomplishments~ such as bringing electricity and farm-to-marketroads to rural areas? How much did her menu selection depend on theagricultural activities at the farm? What was her relationship with theRayburn women of the house? How must it have felt to work in thehome of the second most powerful man in the U.S. government, andyet not be a welcomed participant in the political process because ofher color?Opportunities for expanded interpretation are numerous. Ifthe facility highlights the role that the house and its other occupantsplayed in politics, it then broadens the interest for visitors. Rayburn'srelationship with his rural constituency resulted in his career longevityand success. For example, how did early and mid-20th century ruralpolitics affect the role that the Rayburn family members played in theSpeaker's numerous campaigns? What about the social and domesticroles of North Texas women during the first half of the 20th century?Several Rayburn women lived in the house at various points duringtheir lives--sorne were married, others widowed~ and some nevermarried at all. Another key point of examination can be the steadyInterpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enough?stream of constituents that visited with Mr. Sam in the sitting room ofhis house and asked for his help on all sorts of matters? What were theissues that concerned them most? Any number of the tangible objectsalready on display in the house can act as a springboard for some ofthese intangible themes.Audiences must be able to relate to Mr. Sam and see him as human.Certainly, any facility devoted to him must acknowledge Rayburn'ssuccesses and the events and characteristics that made him unique, but itmust also "stop short of inculcating an incapacitating awe"l) and revealhis failures, his fears, and his weaknesses in an effort to impart a full,well-textured narrative of the man's life. One briefexample of how themuseum has begun such a task is the inclusion in the interpretive tour ofa discussion ofRayburn 's very briefmarriage and subsequent divorce '4.Many of his constituents never even knew of the marriage at all, andsocial and political rules of the time dictated that it remain quiet.There are, of course, many wonderful opportunities to reach outand make a meaningful experience for visitors. All good interpretationrests on a solid foundation of research that is a costly and time-consuming activity. A responsible museum must commit itself todetailed research. l ) People expect to learn something when they visithistoric house museums, and museums must commit to accuracy andhonesty lest they risk their credibility.Museums-and especially historic house museums-are now underscrutiny and must constantly demonstrate that they are meaningful,relevant, and sustainable to an increasingly diverse and evolvingaudience. The Sam Rayburn House Museum works continuouslyto introduce new interpretation to the site's programs, using the site-specific resources to tell broader, more inclusive stories that place thehouse, its objects, and its occupants into larger historical contexts. 16We should not be afraid to ask new questions about the old stories andold objects even though challenging established views can be risky. Wehave to look at the objects in the house and tease out new stories that canlead to newer, more integrated, more comprehensive interpretationsYHistory is never constant. Our view and understanding of the pastevolves with each new generation, and museums must keep up withchange. Only time can tell what the Sam Rayburn House Museum willinterpret in twenty to thirty years, but one thing is for certain-it can'tbe all about Mr. Sam. That just isn't enough.99FALL East Texas Historical Journal(Endnotes)2011100[Gerald George, Starting Right: A Basic Guide to Museum Plan-ning, (Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press, 2004), Chapter 5, 56-59, is titled"'And ifYou are Planning a Historic House Museum?" The paragraph thatfollows is a condensed and paraphrased version of the author's questionsposed in that chapter.2 Gerald George, Starting Right, 58.3 The most notable of these is the 1988 survey of historic sites com-missioned by the NTHP and the 2002 conference "Rethinking the HistoricHouse Museum for the 2 pI Century" cosponsored by the NTHP and AASLH.The findings are summarized in Gerald George, "Historic Property Museums:What Are They Preserving?" Forum Journal 3, no. 1 (Summer 1989); GeraldGeorge, "Historic House Malaise: A Conference Considers What's Wrong,"Forum Journal 16, no. 3 (Spring 2002); Richard Moe, "'Are There Too ManyHouse Museums?" Forum Journal 16, no. 3 (Spring 2002); and Carol Stappand Kenneth Turino, "'Does America Need Another House Museum?" HistoryNews 59, no. 3 (Summer 2004).4 Richard Moe, "'Are There Too Many House Museums?"5 Figures based on 2001 survey conducted by the Museum SelVicesProgram, History Programs Division, Texas Historical Commission.6 Texas Historical Commission, "'Life and Politics," www.thc.state.tx.us/samrayhouse/srhlife.html.7 Patrick H. Butler III, "'Past, Present, and Future: The Place of theHouse Museum in the Community," in Interpreting Historic House MU~'eums,ed. Jessica Foy Donnelly, (Walnut Creek, Calif.: AJtaMira Press, 2002).36.8 Jessica Foy Donnelly, Interpreting Hi.storic House Museums, (Wal-nut Creek, Calif.: AltaMira Press, 2002), 1-5.9 These are not provided as exact quotes or attributed to any particu-lar visitor; they simply represent the types of memories shared by visitors.10 Jessica Foy Donnelly, Interpreting Historic House Museums, I.II George McDaniel, "At Historic Houses and Buildings: Connect-ing Past, Present, and Future," in Public History: Essays from the Fie/d, eds.James B. Gardner and Peter S. LaPaglia (Malabar, Fla.: Krieger PublishingCo., 1999),244-45.Interpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enough?12 George McDaniel, HAt Historic Houses and Buildings: ConnectingPast, Present, and Future," 245.13 Mike Wallace, "Visiting the Past: History Museums in the UnitedStates," in Mickey Mouse History and Other Essays on American PublicMemory (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996),27.14 The tangible objects that lead to this revelation is the set of wed-ding china on display in the dining room, just one of many sets of china in theRayburn home.IS George McDaniel l '"At Historic Houses and Buildings: ConnectingPast, Present, and Future l " 241-44.'6The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded an Inter-preting America's Historic Places Consultation Grant to the Sam RayburnHouse Museum in early 2007. That grant allowed for research activities aswell as a roundtable forum and workshop with a team of Rayburn scholars.17 Rex M. Ellis, "Interpreting the Whole House/' in Interpreting His-toric House Museums, (Walnut Creek, Calif.: AltaMira Press, 2002), 68.101

Interpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enough, or Why can\u27t it be all about Mr. Sam?

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Interpreting Mr. Sam at Home: Is it Enough, or Why can\u27t it be all about Mr. Sam?

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