The museum traces its starting point to the
Panama–California Exposition, which opened in 1915 on the occasion of the inauguration of the
Panama Canal. The central exhibit of the exposition, "The Story of Man through the Ages," was assembled under
archaeologist Dr.
Edgar Lee Hewett of the School of American Archaeology (later renamed the School of American Research and since 2007 the
School for Advanced Research). Hewett organized expeditions to gather pre-Columbian pottery from the
American Southwest and to
Guatemala for objects and reproductions of
Mayan civilization monuments. Materials were gathered from expeditions sent by
anthropologist Aleš Hrdlička of the
Smithsonian Institution, who gathered casts and specimens from Africa, Siberia, Alaska, and
Southeast Asia.
Osteological remains and
trepanated crania from
Peruvian sites were also obtained. A group of citizens led by
George Marston formed the San Diego Museum Association to retain the collection and convert it into a permanent museum, with Dr. Hewett as the first director. Notable additions to the museum's collection after the exposition included the Jessop Weapons Collection and a rare collection of artifacts from the ancient Egyptian city of
Amarna, donated by
Ellen Browning Scripps and the
Egypt Exploration Society. Between 1935 and 1936, the museum's name briefly changed to the
Palace of Science to correspond with the
California Pacific International Exposition. During this exposition, the museum housed special exhibitions from a variety of sources, such as the Monte Alban exhibit, which featured many artifacts on loan from the Mexican government. In 1942, the museum underwent a name change to the
Museum of Man, reflecting its commitment to anthropological pursuits. The addition of "San Diego" occurred in 1978. The exterior sculpture on the building was created by the
Piccirilli Brothers. The main museum is housed in the California Building with its landmark tower. The tower, which had been closed to the public for nearly 80 years, reopened in time for the 2015 centennial of the Panama–California Exposition. The tower contains a
carillon and quarterly-hour chimes which can be heard all over Balboa Park. The museum also occupies three other original 1915 buildings. Administrative offices and an auditorium are housed in the Gill Administration Building, west of the museum. Originally known as the Balboa Park Administration Building, it was built in 1911 and designed by architect
Irving Gill. It was the first building erected in Balboa Park. On the opposite (south) side of the California Quadrangle, housed in what was originally the Fine Arts Building, is Evernham Hall, a banquet room that is also used for temporary exhibits. Immediately adjacent is Saint Francis Chapel, a non-denominational Spanish-style chapel available for private events. On August 2, 2020, after a several-year process and during a wave of
name changes made by institutions all over the world after the
murder of George Floyd, the museum officially changed its name to the Museum of Us to be in the spirit of
inclusiveness and
decolonization. ==Collections==