Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Edmeier.
Hi Nicholas, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been working at the Whittier Museum for nearly ten years. I originally started as an intern when I was admitted to Whittier College. Back then, I was interning for my history major and for a work-study program. My job was assisting with research and being a tour guide. I had never worked at a museum before and never considered a career in one at that time. I always expected that I would eventually go into teaching or some other related field. It was a challenge in the beginning, but I somehow found my place at the Whittier Museum in a short amount of time. I did as many hours as possible till I had used up all my required internship hours and work-study hours before the halfway point of the semester. I came in as often as I could to help out with research projects, setting up exhibits, helping with special events and fundraisers, pretty much anything I could get involved with.
When I was doing research for my graduation research project, I was practically living at the museum. I worked a lot of late hours going through books and documents.
I interned/volunteered with the Whittier Museum throughout my time at Whittier College till I graduated with my bachelor’s in history. The day of graduation, the museum board offered me a job as a temporary office and archives manager till they could find someone else to hire. After a few months, they pretty much said, “Just hire Nick, he knows how to do everything, and he’s been here the longest.” When people ask how I got my job, I always say, “I took the patient route: from intern to volunteer, to board member, to part-time employee, and finally full-time employee.” I’ve always been told my absolute best quality is my patience, so I guess it paid off in the end.
I have been at the Whittier Museum ever since graduating in 2017. I was the Office & Archives Manager for about two years till I negotiated my title change to curator. For one, it’s shorter on a business card.
My job duties have pretty much been the same no matter my job title: do research on Whittier history, receive and document donated items, welcome guests and show them around the museum, encourage donations, write for our newsletter, host special events, fundraisers and site rentals, and encourage memberships.
I really value and appreciate my time and opportunities that the Whittier Museum has awarded me. Thanks to being here, I have gained more experience than I ever thought I would receive. Thanks to the people who have volunteered with the museum or been part of its board of directors, I’ve gained a better understanding of how a museum should be run and what guests want to see.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing in life is a smooth road. There have certainly been times where life was a lot more challenging. Some of them were very personal, and others more practical. I don’t think I would give too much detail about the personal, but it involved someone important in my family. Some more practical struggles included trying to pass all my required math courses. I’m a history guy, not a math person; my brain works differently that way. I think a struggle I always have problems with, even today, is trying to balance work with not working. I’ve never been able to walk away from work or the potential to do much more of it. Yes, I’m a regular workaholic.
We’ve been impressed with Whittier Historical Society & Museum, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Whittier Museum is a historical run organization in the city of Whittier in Southern California. Right off the bat, our museum is not run by the city. We are an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization tasked with collecting, preserving, and displaying all and any items related to the city of Whittier and surrounding area. What really sets us apart from other city museums is, for one, we have an entire building. The museum is setup in the old telephone company building that was built during the 1940s. We have a lot of exhibits that are rebuilt replicas of Old Whittier; it’s like walking onto a movie set. It’s definitely what sets us apart and what I am most proud of being part of at the museum. Guests are able to walk in, and its more immersive.
When the museum first opened in the 1980s, its goal was to showcase the first 100 years of Whittier history. Since we have gone past 100 years, it’s important for us to look at more than just the “Whittier” history. Our goals now are to include more about the Native American history before Whittier and the Hispanic history of the area. It’s not easy primarily because we lack volunteer researchers to help us put the information together in order to eventually make permanent exhibits.
What I like the most about my job is the ability to share history with people in an interactive way. It’s not just talking and explaining things, which is not always the best way to teach someone. At the museum, I have access to artifacts, documents, and more that I can utilize to explain history in a lively manner.
What were you like growing up?
From what my family has always told me, I was always a very quiet person. And that hasn’t changed even into my adulthood. Even as a little kid I liked keeping to myself, I preferred looking at things and thinking how they worked or daydreaming of other things. As I got older, I still preferred to keep to myself. My interests were always about thinking about stuff, about life, and why things were as they were. During my middle school years, I think I spent every recess break walking in circles around a big tree in the playground just thinking about stuff. I guess I was kind of a weird kid in those days. I didn’t like sports, and I come from a big sports family, a cultural mix of USC, UCLA, and Chicago Bears. Although I was briefly popular for being a good climber. I was a natural monkey bar climber and even could do amateur aromatics that earned me some praise. I went to high school at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead, but now it’s called Don Bosco Technical Academy. Not a lot of fun being in an all-boys Catholic school, but it had its moments. Yes, I was still a quiet and antisocial person even then, probably the most extreme I’ve ever been. However, it was at Bosco I did learn a hobby, bookbinding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whittiermuseum.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/professorbyzantine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100020107621567
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasedmeier/
- Other: https://whittiermuseum.org/history-of-whittier-movie-theaters/
Image Credits
Jeffery Garcia
Ana Mejia
Tracy Wittman
Luis Rico
Dannille Galvan
Jacob Caputo
Mary Dutra
