AMSE opens exhibit on presidents and science
Clinton City Council Member Wendy Maness enjoyed a visit to the American Museum of Science and Energy’s “Ich bin Ein Scientist” exhibit on its opening day. She got a chance to explore the compartments in the exhibit’s “Oval Office” desk. (photo:Yvonne Rogers )
It’s part of an exhibit, called “Ich bin ein Scientist,” allowing visitors to see the effects different presidents had on science and engineering.
Visitors can learn about the contributions that John F. Kennedy, who inspired the exhibit’s title, made to the space race, which his successors, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, carried out to lead to a moon landing.
But they can also learn about less-famous instances of presidents with a hand in science and engineering, like Abraham Lincoln’s patented device for lifting boats over sand bars.
“This is unveiling the influence presidents have had on the development of science and engineering since America began,” said Matt Mullins, director of marketing and communications for the museum.
“The intent is really to show how the pursuit of science and engineering has evolved with presidential directives.”
The exhibit is a collaboration between Quinn Argall, who works with AMSE’s museum collections and exhibit management, and Alan Lowe, the museum’s director.
For Lowe, the museum was a natural fit because of his past working at the Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln presidential libraries. But Argall is proud of it too.
“I wanted people to feel like they could be the president,” said Argall, regarding the exhibit and its Oval Office desk in particular.
“We also want to educate and entertain, but in this case, we also want to empower,” Argall said, adding that the exhibit will get people to think about making the changes in the world they wish to see.
The American Museum of Science and Energy is at 115 E. Main St. in Oak Ridge.
Yvonne Rogers
