Rory Hooper joined the Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies as a summer intern in June 2025. An undergraduate at GW, she is majoring in history, minoring in American studies, and, beginning fall 2025, pursuing a master’s degree in museum studies. Her work this summer has introduced her to curatorial research, collections care and museum communications.
A native of Seattle, Washington, Rory is no stranger to the center. As a freshman and member of Phi Alpha Theta, she helped research and interpret a large Civil War map in the Washingtoniana collection for a 2023 exhibition. That same year, she shared her research on women spies in the Revolutionary War during a D.C. Mondays program as part of Professor Denver Brunsman’s course, “George Washington and His World.” She returned this summer to further explore museum careers.
Rory began her internship researching artworks and artifacts for a new rotation of Treasures from the Albert H. Small Collection, opening September 2025. In commemoration of the nation’s 250th birthday, the display spotlights George Washington’s legacy, from his leadership during the American Revolution to his role in the planning of Washington, D.C. Rory drew from her interest in early American history to support the project.
She has also updated collection records and blogged for the museum. After researching a mixed set of historical postcards, Rory drafted descriptions for the collections database, making the cards searchable for museum staff and students. For Evolution D.C., she recapped spring D.C. Mondays programs and wrote a post on her own research of Washington’s Armory Square Hospital during the Civil War. Her work has furthered institutional knowledge of the artworks she’s studied.
Beyond the center, Rory supports other public history projects and serves as a resource for her peers. This summer, she also interned for the U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Historian, updating biographies of Congressional members, past and present. During the academic year, GW students might find her staffing Gelman Library’s front desk, answering questions and connecting patrons with library services.
About the Author
Curator of the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection since 2023, Kasey Sease activates the collection for exhibitions and research, and engages students and scholars with the Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies. Dr. Sease holds a Ph.D. in American history from the College of William and Mary, and is a former managing editor of Washington History magazine.