Tuesday, June 25, 2013


Hello! I am Arthur Garrison, the one of the summer interns at the McFaddin-Ward House this year. I am from Fort Worth, Texas, and must admit that Beaumont is a welcomed change of both scenery and climate for me. I have received a Master’s degree in history from the University of North Texas, and am currently working towards the completion of a museum’s studies program at the University of Oklahoma.

I have previously worked as a guest services representative at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. I have also volunteered as a docent, collections manager, researcher, and overall “gopher” at the Military History Museum of Fort Worth. I am looking forward to working with the staff and volunteers at the McFaddin-Ward House, and learning the many necessary and sought-after skills that are required to work in a museum.

Throughout my internship, I will be posting updates of my projects and the various happenings at the museum. Aelish, the museum’s previous intern started this blog and shared information on the research she did on the McFaddins’ collection of Blenko glass. I plan to take my research in another direction by focusing on Beaumont’s involvement in the First World War and include an in-depth look at the McFaddins’ contribution to the war effort and have begun work on designing an exhibit on the topic. I am extremely interested in military history and how it affected so many aspects of American life, even a wealthy family like the McFaddins. I am excited about learning more about Southeast Texas during the World War and the knowledge I will gain from the project.

I will continue posting weekly updates during my internship and give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it is like to work for a history museum. Feel free to comment and ask questions as I go along, and please continue to follow my progress on this exciting project.