Janese Swanson Innovative Lives Presentation and Oral History
name: label: Creator
content: Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
label: Interviewee
content: Swanson, Jackie
label: Interviewee
content: Swanson, Janese
label: Names
content: Girltech
title: label: Topic
content: Innovative Lives Program (NMAH public program series)
topic: label: Topic
content: Computer software -- Development
label: Topic
content: Inventors -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Inventions -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Toys -- 20th century
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was transferred to the Archives Center by the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation in 1998.
creator: label: Creator
content: Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
label: Interviewee
content: Swanson, Jackie
label: Interviewee
content: Swanson, Janese
setName: label: See more items in
content: Janese Swanson Innovative Lives Presentation and Oral History
abstract: label: Summary
content: Janese Swanson developed video game software, a website, and an array of toys and gadgets aimed at making technology more accessible to girls. The collection contains approximately six hours of original and reference video footage of Swanson's Innovative Lives Presentation, in which she discussed her background and demonstrated her inventions with her daughter, Jackie. The material also includes a brief interview.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Janese Swanson, a native of California, was the founder and CEO of Girl Tech (1995), a company created to bring girls into the world of technology. The second of six children, Swanson was raised by her mother after her father died in the Vietnam War. From a young age, Swanson had an interest in technology, often tinkering with household appliances. Building on her experience as a flight attendant and school teacher, Swanson served on the team at Broderbund Software that developed the video game Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? She produced Playroom and Treehouse, early learning software, and has developed award-winning curricula, electronic toys, and books that encourage girls to explore technology and inventions. Some of Swanson's toy inventions include the Snoop Stopper Keepsake Box, Me-Mail Message Center, Zap N' Lock Journal, YakBak, and Swap-It Locket. Her publications include Tech Girl's Internet Adventures, Tech Girl's Activity Book, and Girlzine: A Magazine for the Global Girl. Swanson received her Ed.D. in Organization and Leadership Technology in 1997 from the University of San Francisco. 

The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation was founded in 1995 at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History through a generous gift from the Lemelson Foundation. The Center's mission is to document, interpret, and disseminate information about invention and innovation; to encourage inventive creativity in young people; and to foster an appreciation for the central role invention and innovation play in the history of the United States. The Innovative Lives series brings together museum visitors and, especially, school aged children, and American inventors to discuss inventions and the creative process and to experiment and play with hands-on activities related to each inventor's product. This collection was recorded by the Innovative Lives Program of the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.5 Cubic feet (4 boxes,)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1998
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: This collection was recorded by the Innovative Lives Program of the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation on March 25, 1998. The Innovative Lives series brings Museum visitors and American inventors together to discuss inventions and the creative process and to experiment and play with hands-on activities related to each inventor's product.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0642
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Oral history
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Slides (photographs)
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is organized into three series. 

Series 1, Original Videos, 1998 

Series 2, Master Videos, 1998 

Series 3, Reference Videos (viewing copies), 1998

Series 4, Photographs and Slides, 1998
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Kimberly Tarr (project archivist), December, 2009; supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Oral history -- 1990-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes -- 1990-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews -- 1980-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides (photographs) -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This collection contains six (6) hours of original (BetaCam SP) recordings, six (6) hours of master (BetaCam SP) recordings, and six (6) hours of reference (VHS) copies documenting the life and work of Dr. Janese Swanson, inventor of toys, books, a website, magazine, and software. This video documentation was created on March 25, 1998. The recordings include a presentation by Swanson for the Lemelson Center's Innovative Lives Program. Audience participants are students from Thoreau Middle School (Vienna, Virginia), Options Charter School (Washington, D.C.), Carrollton Elementary School (New Carrollton, Maryland), and Rosa Parks Middle School (Olney, Maryland). The collection also contains a brief interview with Dr. Swanson.