George Eastman House to name its world-renowned photo conservation center for Kodak’s Kay Whitmore

Friday, June 6, 2008 --  Dedication this Saturday to honor Mr. Whitmore’s legacy, including his expertise as a chemist and dedication to quality and photography

George Eastman House International Museum of Photography & Film will dedicate its world-renowned photo conservation lab Saturday, June 7, in honor of former Kodak Chairman, President, and CEO Kay Whitmore.

The lab, to be named the Kay R. Whitmore Conservation Center at George Eastman House, employs and trains the world’s top photograph conservators, who work closely with the photograph collections at Eastman House and globally share their pioneering research and unparalleled expertise.

“We are very pleased to be associated with George Eastman House and the legacy that George Eastman has left us,” said Richard Whitmore, Mr. Whitmore’s eldest son, one of six children. “He told us on several occasions of his admiration for George Eastman and encouraged us to visit the museum to get a great appreciation for his innovations and legacy.”

Mr. Whitmore worked for Kodak for 36 years, elected president in 1983 and retiring 10 years later as chairman, president, and CEO. He served as a trustee of Eastman House from 1982 through to the year of his death, 2004. In attendance at the ceremony will be Whitmore’s family and Eastman House staff and trustees. Leading the dedication will be Eastman House Trustee David J. Metz, longtime director of communications and public affairs at Kodak, who worked closely with Mr. Whitmore.

“Kay Whitmore exemplified Kodak values with courage, conviction, and commitment,” Metz said. “It is our hope and belief that those who work and train at the Kay R. Whitmore Conservation Center will demonstrate those same qualities in their efforts to protect and preserve the world’s cultural heritage.”

Mr. Whitmore joined Kodak in 1957 after earning a degree in chemistry at the University of Utah. His work in the film emulsion department at Kodak led to a management role in the startup of the company’s film manufacturing plan at Guadalajara, Mexico, after which he was awarded a Sloan Fellowship for study at MIT. He later was appointed general manager of Kodak operations throughout Latin America and then head of the company’s worldwide Photographic Division, prior to being named president.

“It is very appropriate that the Conservation Center at George Eastman House carry the Whitmore name as it is here where the great works of pioneering photographers are restored to original brilliance and from here that students of conservation and collections management emerge to carry on such work at the world’s leading museums,” Metz said.

“Of the seven Kodak presidents I worked with and learned from, none was more dedicated to quality principles and processes than Kay Whitmore. His early work at Kodak Park centered on light-sensitive emulsions critical to the performance of our film products, generally thought to be the best in the world and as such, a resource for documenting with clarity and insight our lives and our times.”