Simmons Graduate Internship Program (4) - The Henry Ford (3/1/25)

Posted 1/17/25

Stewart Program Archival Collection Processing Intern

• Dearborn, MI
• Temporary
• Archives & Library
• $15.00 - $15.00 / hr

Simmons Graduate Internship Program

The Henry Ford’s Simmons Internship Program is designed for current graduate students pursuing careers in museums, historical agencies, conservation labs, or related fields. These internships provide participants with a great opportunity to gain in-depth work experience in a major American history museum.

Stewart Program Archival Collection Processing Internship

This project aims to rehouse, arrange, and describe a physical collection of design and designer subject files and posters acquired in 2024, which spans approximately 36 cubic ft. (38 boxes) of files and over 100 posters.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Rehousing at a box and folder level.
• Inventory and description at a folder level.
• Identification of A/V and digital materials.
• Identification and rehousing of photographic materials.

Required qualifications:

• Enrollment in a graduate program for American History, Information Studies, Museum Studies, or related field.
• Interest in gaining experience with processing of archival collections.
• Understanding of archival description standards and practices.
• Strong writing and communication skills, and attention to detail.

Desired qualifications (optional):

• Focus of graduate program in archival studies.

Stipend and Terms of Internship

Simmons interns are awarded stipends for a minimum 12-week full time internship. Starting and ending dates for individual internships are negotiable. The Simmons Internship Program is funded by the Vera W. and Walter E. Simmons Endowment Fund.

Applications should include:

• A letter of application, stating how your graduate studies, work and/or volunteer experience and personal interests qualify you for the specific project
• A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Two references

Students may apply for more than one internship project but must submit a unique letter of application for each. The deadline for application is Saturday, March 1.

Jackson Family Research Project Intern

• Dearborn, MI
• Temporary
• Historical Resources
• $15.00 - $15.00 / hr

Simmons Graduate Internship Program

The Henry Ford’s Simmons Internship Program is designed for current graduate students pursuing careers in museums, historical agencies, conservation labs, or related fields. These internships provide participants with a great opportunity to gain in-depth work experience in a major American history museum.

Jackson Family Research Project Internship

This project aims to conduct research, analyze, compile, and document family history associated with Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Jackson of Selma, Alabama and their extended family. The Jackson family and their home played a key role in the Civil Rights movement and was relocated to Greenfield Village (The Henry Ford) from Alabama in 2024.

The intern’s work will include writing brief biographies of Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Jackson and summary biographies of other key individuals in their extended family, as well as developing a “family tree” documenting the family. As time allows, completing other small Jackson-related research projects as needed. Reports to the Curator of Domestic Life.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Gathering information about the lives of Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Jackson and their extended family.
• Practice a high standard of research using online genealogy databases and primary source material.
• Capturing family personal stories.
• Developing a “family tree” and creating brief biographies on Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Jackson and summary biographies on other key individuals in the family.
• Creating a presentation of completed work.

Minimum Requirements: 

• Enrollment in a graduate-level program for American History, Information Studies, Museum Studies, or related field.
• Experience with historical research and the ability to interpret materials found in this process.
• Strong proficiency in using online genealogy databases and primary source material.
• Highly detail oriented with ability to resolve issues from conflicting data.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

Stipend and Terms of Internship

Simmons interns are awarded stipends for a minimum 12-week full time internship. Starting and ending dates for individual internships are negotiable. The Simmons Internship Program is funded by the Vera W. and Walter E. Simmons Endowment Fund.

Applications should include:

• A letter of application, stating how your graduate studies, work and/or volunteer experience and personal interests qualify you for the specific project
• A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Two references

Students may apply for more than one internship project but must submit a unique letter of application for each. The deadline for application is Saturday, March 1.

Hermitage Research and Interpretation Planning Intern

• Dearborn, MI
• Temporary
• Historical Resources
• $15.00 - $15.00 / hr

Simmons Graduate Internship Program

The Henry Ford’s Simmons Internship Program is designed for current graduate students pursuing careers in museums, historical agencies, conservation labs, or related fields. These internships provide participants with a great opportunity to gain in-depth work experience in a major American history museum.

Hermitage Research and Interpretation Planning Simmons Internship

This project supports a cross-departmental effort to review research findings, conduct original research, and refine the interpretive plan for two dwellings that housed enslaved people at the Hermitage Plantation, originally located near Savannah, Georgia, and acquired and relocated to The Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village in 1934.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Ability to conduct advanced research in African American history, contextualize it, and propose and defend high-quality public history products.

Duties will include:

• Reviewing findings and reports compiled by previous research teams.
• Reviewing primary source evidence in The Henry Ford collections.
• Conducting original research to document the history of enslaved people at and near The Hermitage.
• Review existing programming and educational material.
• Synthesize into the Big Idea and interpretive themes for reinterpreting the structures.
• Draft the interpretive manual and respond to team critique to finalize the document.

Minimum Requirements:

• Enrollment in a graduate-level program in museum studies or public history at an accredited institution of higher learning.
• Interest in African-American, southern, agricultural and/or environmental history.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Demonstrated writing skills.
• Self-direction and attention to detail.

Stipend and Terms of Internship

Simmons interns are awarded stipends for a minimum 12-week full time internship. Starting and ending dates for individual internships are negotiable. The Simmons Internship Program is funded by the Vera W. and Walter E. Simmons Endowment Fund.

Applications should include:

• A letter of application, stating how your graduate studies, work and/or volunteer experience and personal interests qualify you for the specific project
• A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Two references

Students may apply for more than one internship project but must submit a unique letter of application for each. The deadline for application is Saturday, March 1.

Contemporary Trade Catalog Cataloging and Processing Intern

• Dearborn, MI
• Temporary
• Historical Resources
• $15.00 - $15.00 / hr

Simmons Graduate Internship Program

The Henry Ford’s Simmons Internship Program is designed for current graduate students pursuing careers in museums, historical agencies, conservation labs, or related fields. These internships provide participants with a great opportunity to gain in-depth work experience in a major American history museum.

Contemporary Trade Catalog Cataloging and Processing Internship

This project aims to process and catalog the contemporary trade catalogs acquired by The Henry Ford in 2022. The Henry Ford owns a sizeable collection of Trade Catalogs. The 2022 acquisition increases the scope of the research center's holdings and requires descriptive cataloging, processing, and integration with the rest of the Trade Catalog collection.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Creating MARC records for approximately 1000 trade catalogs through a combination of copy cataloging and original cataloging work.
• Physical processing catalogs.
• Interfiling and shifting trade catalogs as needed.

Minimum Requirements:

• Enrollment in a graduate-level program in library and information science or equivalent at an accredited institution of higher learning.
• Familiarity with MARC records
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Self-direction and attention to detail.

Desired qualifications (optional):

• Familiarity with OCLC Connxion, Ex Libris Alma and Primo.

Stipend and Terms of Internship

Simmons interns are awarded stipends for a minimum 12-week full time internship. Starting and ending dates for individual internships are negotiable. The Simmons Internship Program is funded by the Vera W. and Walter E. Simmons Endowment Fund.

Applications should include:

• A letter of application, stating how your graduate studies, work and/or volunteer experience and personal interests qualify you for the specific project
• A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Two references

Students may apply for more than one internship project but must submit a unique letter of application for each. The deadline for application is Saturday, March 1.