An interview with the Honorable Joe Simitian
At the Palo Alto Museum, we believe history isn’t just something we preserve — it’s something we live. So when we sat down with the Honorable Joe Simitian, a longtime resident and advocate for local heritage, we asked him a simple question:
What inspired you to support the Palo Alto Museum?
He didn’t miss a beat.
🎥 Watch the video clip: “An Obvious Absence.”
“As an elected official, I’ve represented probably more than 20 local communities over the course of my career. And many, if not most of them had local history museums. And I was just sort of taken aback that somehow my hometown Palo Alto had never gotten around to that, particularly in a community that is so blessed with so many amenities, libraries, schools, community centers, parks, playgrounds.”
“So it has been an obvious absence, in my view, for a very long time. And it’s also something that I think is essential…”
“ … a community’s history is something you don’t miss until you realize you don’t really have a handle on it. You don’t have your arms wrapped around it.”
That history, Simitian explained, is more than just dates, documents, or preserved buildings. It’s about community — and civic identity.
We wanted to know how Joe saw the Museum contributing to the future cultural and historical awareness of the community.
“One of the things that I’m very mindful of is that there were generations of Palo Altans who built and maintained and sustained a community for the generations that followed,” he told us. “They were mindful of the fact that they were creating a legacy for future generations — And I think understanding that that’s part of the community’s DNA, understanding that that’s an obligation that the current generation now has to the next and the next and the next just as prior generations did for all of us, I think that’s an important role for the history museum to play.”
You can hear this powerful moment in our interview with Joe Simitian — click here to watch.
🎥 Watch: “An Important Role”
For Simitian, the museum is a space that goes beyond nostalgia. It’s about connecting past to present — and helping future generations understand what makes Palo Alto unique.
🎥 Watch: “A Look Back Doesn’t Have To Be Stodgy or Dusty”.
As someone who grew up in Palo Alto — attending local public schools and later going on to serve the community — Simitian speaks from a deep well of personal connection. His voice carries the tone of someone who’s watched the city evolve and is invested in how it tells its story moving forward.
He shared with us that in a place so forward-looking — known for innovation, progress, and change — a museum acts as a vital anchor.
“The community has changed.”
“That’s a set of stories that are out there to be told.”
“Perhaps more importantly, a set of stories that should help inform our thinking about what we want to be as a community in the generations to come.”
🎥 Catch that part of the conversation here:
At the Palo Alto Museum, we envision a space where these aspirations come to life. Where families can explore the roots of the community they call home, where students can discover the local movements that shaped national change, and where neighbors — new and longtime — can reflect on the shared values that continue to shape Palo Alto.
We’re grateful to the Honorable Joe Simitian for lending his voice and vision to this project. His words remind us that the Museum is not only about what was, but also about what could be — and why it matters that we all take part in telling our story.