National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa
Port of Dubuque
350 East 3rd Street
Dubuque, 52001
Jerry Enzler National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa
COSEE Role:
COSEE Scientist
Primary COSEE Affiliation:Great Lakes
Other affiliations:
- Gulf of Mexico
Interaction with COSEE Network:
Jerry Enzler is the Executive Director of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, a Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center. He is a key leader of the $188 million America’s River project on the Mississippi River in Dubuque and the first President of the America’s River Corporation. The Museum & Aquarium tells the story of the 31-state Mississippi River watershed as well as the other rivers of America. It features five major aquarium habitats, ten smaller aquariums, two interactive flow tables, a wetlab, five interactive theaters, 20 historic boats, a wetland, a boatyard, and a floating steamboat boat and breakfast. A native of Washington D.C., Mr. Enzler has appeared on the History Channel, Home and Garden Television, public television in Japan, as well as public radio in the United States and Austria. He and his staff created an exhibit on the Mississippi River for presentation in Japan, and the films and exhibitions under his direction have won numerous national awards. Over the past 30 years, he has directed over 250 projects supported by EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Park Service, and National Endowment for the umanities. He is past chair of the National Maritime Alliance, a consortium of the leading maritime museums in the nation, and is the founder and chair of the Great River Road network of 62 museums and interpretive centers on the Mississippi River. He has received a Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies from the Cooperstown, New York, Graduate Program, an honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree from Clarke College and honorary Doctorate of Laws from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, Dubuque’s 1st Citizen Award, and the Humanities Iowa 1st award for Outstanding Public Programming in the Humanities.
