Joseph Alley named National Cold War Center Exhibition Manager and Coordinator

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. (March 14, 2022) – The National Cold War Center has named Joseph Alley as Exhibition Manager and Coordinator.

Upon joining the National Cold War Center staff on March 28, Alley will oversee the day-to-day management of the center’s Blytheville Air Force Base exhibition, including expanding its current hours of operation. He will also be responsible for the museum’s marketing, communications and event coordination.

Alley has served on the staff of various museums and libraries, including the Historic Arkansas Museum, William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. He currently serves as curator of the Helena Museum of Phillips County – the oldest museum in the state of Arkansas.

“Joseph’s unique mixture of academic credentials and vocational experience in public history makes him an excellent addition to our team,” said Jay Henderson, member of the National Cold War Center’s Board of Directors. “He will play an integral role in the operation and continued development of the National Cold War Center.”

Alley holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Bethel College (McKenzie, Tenn.) and a master’s degree in public history from the University of Arkansas – Little Rock (Little Rock, Ark.).

The National Cold War Center will be located on the site of the former Blytheville Air Force Base, originally known as the Blytheville Army Airfield, which opened in 1942 as a training facility for World War II pilots. In 1958, the base was converted to a Strategic Air Command alert mission and remained a key U.S. military command for three decades – through events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the signing of the treaties that officially ended the Cold War in the early 1990s.