Elliot Gruber

Elliot Gruber is the director of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum. The mission of the Postal Museum is to educate, challenge and inspire its audiences on the breadth of American experiences. The Postal Museum has the second largest collection of any Smithsonian museum and is the repository of the national philatelic collection. In addition, it also has one of the world’s largest international philatelic collections.

Before joining the Smithsonian in 2017, Gruber worked for more than 30 years in the nonprofit sector, including at the National Parks Conservation Association, the Civil War Trust and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. His passion for museums and the impact they have was kindled during his time in Gettysburg where he was responsible for relaunching a capital campaign to build a new museum and visitor center Gruber became the chief operating officer at the Gettysburg Foundation, the most successful public–private partnership with the U.S. Park Service, where he was responsible for all aspects of museum operations—from visitor services to retail, facilities to exhibitions. 

Before joining the Smithsonian, Gruber was the CEO of The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia. The Mariners’ Museum is home to the largest maritime collection in the Western Hemisphere and is situated on a more than 500-acre park and lake. 

Gruber is originally from Danbury, Connecticut. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brandeis University and a master’s degree in organizational psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

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SI-41-2024