DavidListon.com
Created with and for David A. Liston, 1944-2009.

David Liston was a consummate teacher. He taught kids in Chicago high schools, taught Spanish to doctors at Cooks County Hospital, and taught English as a second language to immigrant populations in Chicago and Washington, DC. He built a career at the Smithsonian Institution teaching museum security, and made a name for himself internationally by teaching professionals around the world to protect their own cultural treasures.

Always fascinated by people from other cultures, David enjoyed making friends with people all over the globe. He was inspired by diversity, and was always learning from the people he met. This Mahatma Gandhi quote was one of his favorites: “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

The day he died, David was awarded the annual Robert Burke Award at the National Conference on Cultural Property Protection in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He made a short acceptance speech by phone and received two standing ovations. He was extremely proud to be recognized by his peers for his life’s work, and he passed away just a few hours later.

Read David Liston's final message to his International colleagues.  click here

Obituary from Washington Post, 3/20/09  click here

Museum Security and Protection: A Handbook for Cultural Heritage Institutions: click here