American Heritage Center

The Citizens Committee to Repeal Chinese Exclusion was founded by Pearl Buck and her husband in May of 1943. The committee was successful in getting the Exclusion Act repealed later that same year.

Frontiersman Oliver Perry Hanna was an early settler of Sheridan County and opened the first hotel in Big Horn, Wyoming. His life on the frontier was rich with adventure.

Encampment, Wyoming was a town that sprung up in 1897 after copper was discovered in the nearby mountains.

Wyoming Senator Gale McGee was a pivotal figure in the Senate confirmation hearings of Lewis Strauss. As portrayed in the film Oppenheimer, Strauss was denied the role of Secretary of Commerce in large part due to McGee’s diligent questioning and persuasive oratory.

Edith “Jackie” Ronne was the first American woman to overwinter in Antarctica when she accompanied her husband, Finn Ronne, on the 1946-48 Ronne Expedition to the Antarctic.

Pioneer Ezra Meeker first traveled along the Oregon Trail in 1852 and in his old age, made it his mission to memorialize the trail with granite markers.

Lorraine Bonney was an indefatigable champion of Jackson Hole’s wilderness areas. She co-authored several books about Wyoming mountains with her husband and traveled the world mountain climbing and pursuing other adventurous activities.

Entertainer Nat King Cole was one of the most influential and popular musicians of the 20th century.

August “Gussie” Anheuser Busch, Jr. was heir to the Anheuser-Busch brewing family. He led the company from 1946 to 1974.

Pilot Jackie Cochran is remembered for breaking barriers and setting records. She accumulated more than 200 trophies and awards during her long flying career.