It is with much gratitude that we spotlight Museum volunteers Debra and Harold McCracken who have been supporting the Museum with their time and resources since we opened to the public in 2015! They are also Old 300 lifetime members of the Museum.

Debra and Harold had exciting careers in the Space Program (and we agree, they are out of this world!). Debra owned her own company providing engineering support to the Canadian Space Agency’s Robotic Arm on the International Space Station. Harold worked for Lockheed Martin beginning with the Apollo program and culminating in the Shuttle Program.

They both graduated from the University of Houston – Clear Lake and later became Charter lifetime members of the Alumni Association and serving on the Alumni Board of Directors, another example of their selfless service to others.

In retirement Debra and Harold became more active in many volunteer opportunities, including the Galveston Historical Foundation; cooking & serving dinner at the Salvation Army; working with the Phoenix food bank, serving on the Moody Permanent Endowment Fund; on the City of Galveston Finance Committee; the Grand Opera House; serving on numerous Church committees and currently President of the Moody Methodist Day School Board of Directors.

The McCrackens tell us; “One of the most enriching and satisfying volunteer programs has been with The Bryan Museum. We love the history and enjoy helping guests experience the Museum, especially the history of the building. As this is our neighborhood, we are so thankful to have this building saved and to have this incredible collection in Galveston.”

We are thankful to have the McCrackens as part of our Museum family and celebrate them and all of our wonderful volunteers during this National Volunteer Week!