Clement Ellis Conger (October 15, 1912 – January 11, 2004) was an American museum curator and public servant. He served as director of the Office of Fine Arts at the U.S. Department of State, where he worked as curator of both the Diplomatic Reception Rooms and Blair House. He also served as Curator of the White House under U.S. Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan.[1][2] Prior to working as a curator, Conger served as a Foreign Service Officer, as the Deputy Chief of Protocol of the United States, and as Assistant Secretary of the Combined Chiefs of Staff.

Early life and education

The John Quincy Adams State Drawing Room, part of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the United States Department of State, where Conger assembled most of this furniture and art

Conger was born on October 15, 1912, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He attended and graduated from Strayer College in Washington, D.C.

Career

Following graduation from Strayer College, Conger worked as an office manager for the Chicago Tribune and for U.S. Rubber Co. He was assistant secretary for the Combined Chiefs of Staff during World War II. He worked for the United States State Department, where he served as deputy chief of protocol from 1958 to 1961. In 1992, he received the Henry Francis du Pont Award from the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, which recognizes awardees' "contributions of national significance to the knowledge, preservation, and enjoyment of American decorative arts, architecture, landscape design, and gardens."[3]

Death

Conger died of pneumonia in Delray Beach, Florida, on January 11, 2004, and was interred in Glendale, California.

Works

  • Clement E. Conger, Mary K. Itsell, Treasures of State: Fine and Decorative Art in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the U.S. Department of State, H.N. Abrams, 1991, ISBN 978-0-8109-3911-0

References

  1. ^ Files, John (January 13, 2004). "Clement Conger, 91, Curator Who Beautified Federal Halls". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Kempster, Norman (August 7, 1990). "Insider : He Took Charge of a Shabby State Department : Clement Conger is his name and furnishing is his game. For the last 30 years, he has made sure that foreign VIP's like what they see in Washington D.C". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ "Judith and John Herdeg Receive Henry Francis du Pont Award". Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Conger
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