Louise M. Pearson was an administrative aide at the Smithsonian between 1920 until her retirement in 1965. She worked directly with Secretary Alexander Wetmore, Secretary Leonard Carmoichael, and Secretary S. Dillon Ripley.
In an oral history interview in 1987 Helena M. Weiss, the Smithsonian’s first registrar, recalled how effective and well-respected Pearson was around the Institution. Weiss shared:
She was a most efficient secretary and administrative assistant. She had the personality as well as the ability and talent to work with staff members. She worked like a computer, as far as her work was concerned in those days. [LAUGHTER] Very efficient. And I would say that the staff all liked Louise Pearson.
Upon Pearson’s retirement, Smithsonian leaders and staff gathered in the Great Hall of the Smithsonian Institution Building to celebrate her years of service.
Related Resources
- Helena M. Weiss Oral History Interviews, Record Unit 9587, Smithsonian Institution Archives
- The Torch, February 1965, Smithsonian Institution Archives
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