Our friends over at the The Buffalo History Museum are excited to announce their latest exhibition, Inside Tim Russert’s Office: If it’s Sunday, it’s “Meet the Press”. Tim Russert is best known as the moderator for NBC’s “Meet the Press.” In his 17 years as host he interviewed the world’s most influential people ranging from the Pope to presidents and helped to carry the show to its rank as Sunday’s most-watched news program.
Before beginning his career in journalism, Tim Russert served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and as Counsel to Governor Mario Cuomo. His best-selling autobiography, Big Russ and Me, shares the story of his South Buffalo roots and family, including his close relationship with his father. Russert’s work with NBC began long before his time with “Meet the Press,” having served as senior Vice President of Washington operations and Washington Bureau Chief. In 2003 he was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Russert played a key role in American media throughout his reign, earning him Time magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world in 2008, the year he passed away suddenly at the age of 58. He is survived by his wife Maureen Orth and son Luke Russert.
Earlier this year, Congressman Brian Higgins and The Buffalo History Museum Executive Director, Melissa Brown, announced plans to relocate the Inside Tim Russert’s Office: If It’s Sunday, It’s “Meet the Press” exhibit from the Newseum in Washington, DC to The Buffalo History Museum in Western New York. In 2009, Newseum, a museum dedicated to journalism, opened the exhibit which featured artifacts from Russert’s NBC office. Russert’s connection to Buffalo and family was evident in the keepsakes, children’s drawings, and Buffalo Bills memorabilia he kept in his work place.
Luke Russert requested that The Buffalo History Museum expand Newseum’s curated exhibit to reflect Russert’s Buffalo upbringing. Ancillary stories related to Russert’s life defining moments and pivotal twists in his career - like how the Blizzard of ’77 gave the nation Tim Russert –part of the exhibit’s extended narrative. Luke, a Congressional correspondent for NBC News, will be the honored guest at the opening.
The exhibition begins October 17th at 5:30 pm with cocktails and live music beginning at 6:30. Admission is free. For more information about this exhibit click here.
