David and Debra Hausrath

The marriage between science and history.

Cincinnati Museum Center is the marriage between science and history. The Hausrath house is the same.

Since opening its doors in 1993, Cincinnati Museum Center has championed curiosity in the world around us. Through the collection and preservation of natural history and history objects, Museum Center is able to exhibit and inspire curiosity. In our Geier Collections and Research Center you can find the majority of our more than 3 million objects and specimens not currently on display, including Debra’s favorite – the ornithology collection.

Debra has been volunteering in Geier for the last decade, working in the ornithology lab to prepare bird specimens for long-term preservation in the museum’s collection. She’s always loved nature, especially birding. For the past few years, she has really enjoyed participating in “Lights Out Cincinnati” with our Curator of Zoology Heather Farrington. The “Lights Out” program works to study and reduce the amount of bird collisions into buildings during migration periods.

David is much more personally invested in the areas of history and art. He was a long-time member of the History Advisory Board and became its Chair in 2011 when he joined the Board of Trustees. The History Advisory Board was very active in the creation of the Treasures of the Past: Cincinnati’s Historic Art 1800-1930 exhibition in 2012 and in subsequent Treasures exhibitions. “I loved that we were able to show the city of Cincinnati the rare and historic art in the museum’s collection,” David shared.

“We stay involved because we both believe in the mission and purpose of the museum. We believe it is important to have a place in Cincinnati where families can learn about science and nature and history, and enjoy wonderful and educational experiences, films and special exhibits. We have received as much if not more than we have given,” says David.

In addition to supporting Museum Center with their time and talents, they also support with their treasures through a campaign commitment and a planned gift.

According to David, “The most important work Museum Center does, in my opinion, is the preservation and teaching of Cincinnati’s history. For Debra, it's the work they do to educate people about science and the wonders of nature.”