George Wunderlich Is New Director At National Museum of Civil War Medicine
December 2002

FREDERICK, Md. - George C. Wunderlich, who has been director of education at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine since October 2000, became executive director effective Nov. 15. He suc-ceeded JaNeen Smith, the executive director since September 1996, who retired.

Smith said: "George is well liked by the staff and volunteers, possesses an abundance of energy, dedication, and intelligence, and has proven himself to be an extremely valuable asset to this organization during his tenure with the museum. His background in public history is extensive and I firmly believe he has the skills to lead this institution successfully."

Wunderlich has bachelor and master of arts degrees in history. Before joining the museum he was director of The Missouri Historical Education Center that he founded in 1994 to provide high-quality living history programs to schools, parks and organizations.

Between 1989 and 1996, Wunderlich assisted in the development of programs interpreting the militia movement history in St. Louis in the decade before the Civil War for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial of the National Park Service. For the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Departments he assisted in developing programs on the Missouri militia from 1858, building restoration, 19th-century musical instrument making and music, American Revolution, 1812 militia, 19th-century farming and Civil War medicine.

In addition to working at the NMCWM, Wunderlich has been an historian with The History Center Inc., a private not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the interpretation of American history, culture, music and industry from the years 1775 to 1875. He is on the adjunct faculty of Frederick Community College for which he developed several lecture-based courses on American Civil War subjects. The Daughters of the American Revolution have given him two awards.

Wunderlich is also the owner of The Wunder Banjo Company that he founded in 1992 to make museum-quality reproduction banjos from the years 1790 to 1870. In 1997, artifact conservation, development of research databases and museum exhibit consultation was added to the product line.

" JaNeen will be a hard act to follow," said Wunderlich. "In just six years under her direction, the NMCWM has grown from a dream to a nationally respected institution exceeding professional standards in absolutely record time."

He pledged to "work diligently to not only maintain the museum's current quality and level of programming, but to improve and expand upon all operations as resources permit."