Marc Jay Pachter (May 7, 1943 – February 17, 2024) was an American museum director who headed up the United States
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to:
* National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra
* National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred
*National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C.
*National Portrait Gallery, London
...
from 2000 until 2007 and was the acting director (after coming back out of retirement) of the
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center is a historical museum in Washington, D.C. It collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and m ...
between 2011 and 2012, both at the
Smithsonian.
Pacter was born in
the Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
to Jack and Ferle (Greenfield) Pachter, and moved with them to California at age one.
He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1964, and enrolled as a
Woodrow Wilson Fellow
The Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly known as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation) is a nonpartisan, non-profit institution based in Princeton, New Jersey that says it aims to strengthen American democracy by "cultivating ...
at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
as a graduate student in American history.
While at the NPG, Pachter oversaw a $300 million renovation of the museum's building, and played an instrumental role in acquiring the
Lansdowne portrait
The Lansdowne portrait is an iconic life-size portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. It depicts the 64-year-old president of the United States during his final year in office. The portrait was a gift to former British Pr ...
by
Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter born in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-k ...
of
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
for the museum.
When he retired as director of the National Portrait Gallery in 2007, the Gallery in turn commissioned a portrait by
Robert Liberace of Pachter.
Pachter gave a talk entitled "The Art of the Interview" at the EG conference in January 2008; a video of the talk is posted on the
TED website.
In February 2008, Pachter was a guest on ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...
'', in which he discussed with
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
the host's portrait hanging in the National Portrait Gallery and the effect it was having upon attendance at the museum.
Pachter died of a heart attack during an extended stay in Bangkok on February 17, 2024, at the age of 80.
References
External links
Video of Pachter's EG2008 talk from the TED website*
*
1943 births
2024 deaths
Directors of museums in the United States
People from New York City
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