The Montgomery History Center, set to open Sept. 6 in time for the county’s 250th celebration, will feature The Connie Chung Oral History Studio.
The center will be located in a refurbished building at 4 Courthouse Square in downtown Rockville. Once the home of M&T bank, the art deco building was purchased by Montgomery History.
Preserving County Heritage
“Our mission is to collect, preserve, interpret and share the history of everyone who calls Montgomery County home,” Matt Logan, executive director of Montgomery History, said previously. “It will be a place to come, explore and learn.”
The Farmers Banking and Trust Building will house exhibits, a lecture space, an oral history recording studio, archival storage and community events. Nearby the Old Grey Courthouse’s vacant fourth floor will hold the organization’s 10,000-item collection of artifacts.
The Connie Chung Studio
The Chung studio expects to expand the museum’s oral history programs. It will enable the recording of stories from county residents who represent areas throughout the world.
“We are thrilled to partner with a true pioneer of journalism, both locally and nationally,” Logan said. “It is also an opportunity for us to recognize the significant contributions of all Asian Americans in the county, who now comprise 16 percent of the population.”
Chung attended Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring and the University of Maryland, College Park. She was the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening and the first Asian American to anchor any network news program.
“I am honored and flattered to be part of this great tribute to Montgomery County,” said Chung in a news release. “It has been a privilege to live in the county and now, to be named in such a valued way, is beyond my wildest dreams.”
Delegate Lily Qi, the first immigrant Chinese American elected to the Maryland legislature, and Aryani Ong, an Asian American civil rights leader based in Rockville, will help lead the campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Chung Studio.
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