Plymouth Native Takes on the Smithsonian with Summer Internship

Although a summer internship is a great experience for any student, getting the chance to intern with the Smithsonian takes internships to an entirely new level, and that is exactly what Plymouth native James Bauer is doing.

30-year-old Bauer, a 2011 graduate of Wayne State University, will be spending the rest of his summer living just outside of Washington D.C. and interning at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly.

Bauer has a Masters in Library Science and has spent a lot of his time studying archival administration.  Although he has done a lot of volunteer work since his graduation, this is Bauer’s first paid internship.

“I actually got a notice about this internship because my mom’s friend has a daughter who worked at the National Air and Space Museum. They were looking for someone with a library science background, and I seemed to qualify,”  Bauer said.

Bauer applied for this unique internship position online in December of 2012.  He then discovered that he was chosen in January. 

“I am very happy and lucky to get the chance to work for the Smithsonian Institute. It’s a great way to gain experience and learn more about the field while working on the job,” said Bauer.

Bauer began this internship in May, expecting that it would last until August.  However, plans have changed, and Baur will be working at the National Air and Space Museum until the first week of November.

“My internship is extended because there is so much work to do.  I have been working on a records management project, involving archival work of the National Air and Space Museum’s fundraising program, Wall of Honor,” said Bauer.

As the National Air and Space Museum’s website states, “The National Air and Space Museum's Wall of Honor is a permanent memorial at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, recognizing those with a passion for flight. Your name, or the name of someone you wish to recognize, will be seen by millions of visitors, along with other icons of flight such as the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, and Jim Lovell.”

Bauer said, “I am making sure donor profiles can be found online and taking down the ones that are no longer needed, sending them back to Smithsonian archives.  I am also creating inventory for each file folder.”

There are 12,000 to 14,000 profiles for Bauer to sort through and organize, with many donors being veterans of World War II.  This is no simple task, since Bauer will be the one creating a system to quickly archive donor profiles, which are stored without any trace of organization.

Bauer hopes this internship will help him achieve his future career goals.   

“I would like to do record management for a corporation or archiving somewhere on the east coast, such as in Washington D.C., Boston, or New York,” Bauer said.