James Goode papers

James Moore Goode (1939-2019) is the author of numerous books relating to Washington, D.C. history, and earned his Ph.D. from The George Washington University in 1995. Dr. Goode was born September 17, 1939 in Stateville, North Carolina. He graduated with a B.A. from the University of South Carolina in 1964 and an M.A. from the University of Virginia in 1966. From 1966-68 he was an instructor at George Mason University, teaching undergraduate courses in American and European history. From there he went to the Library of Congress, working in the Prints and Photographs Division from 1968-70, providing reference services for researchers.

From 1970-1988 he served as Curator for the Smithsonian Institution Building, and he was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing an extensive restorations to the historic Castle building built between 1847 and 1855. He also prepared and presented lectures and tours of the building for scholars, docents, and the general public, and organized exhibits.

Beginning in 1988, he worked as a consultant in fine arts and architectural history, and served on the board of directors for two historic house museums: the Ruthmere in Elkhart, Indiana, and the Decatur House in Washington, D.C. During that time he researched and prepared five exhibitions for the Kiplinger Washington Editors art gallery, including Washington During the Civil War and Two Hundred Years of White House History, and one for the National Building Museum, based on his book "Best Addresses, One Hundred Years of Washington's Distinguished Apartment Houses."

Dr. Goode is the author of several books, including the aforementioned "Best Addresses" (1988), "Capital Losses: A Cultural History of Washington's Destroyed Buildings" (1979), "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C." (1974), and Washington Scuplture (2009). A 300 photograph collection for his dissertation "Architecture and Politics: Thomas Ustick Walter and the Enlargement of the U.S. Capitol, 1850-65" was donated to the archives of the American Institute of Architects in 1996.

On May 27, 2015 Dr. Goode was presented the "Visionary Historian" award by The Historical Society of Washington D.C.

Dr. Goode was a member of numerous associations, and at one time served on the boards of the Historical Society of Washington, the Victorian Society of America, and the White House Historical Society.

The Library of Congress, University of Virginia Archive, and the Smithsonian Institute also have collections of papers related to James Goode.

James Moore Goode passed away on December 12, 2019 following a brief illness.