Oral History with Emily Rafferty

Oral history interview with Emily Rafferty and Amy Weinstein on April 28, 2025.

Emily Rafferty is former President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, former Chair of NYC & Company (now NYC Tourism + Conventions), and is a Founding Trustee of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. In this interview, Rafferty reflects on her lifelong commitment to the arts, philanthropy, and cultural leadership, tracing her career from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to four decades at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She recounts her experience on September 11, 2001, describing how she witnessed the attacks from the rooftop terrace of The Met, managed the museum's emergency response, and learned of the death of a close friend in the World Trade Center. Rafferty discusses the Met's decision to reopen just one day after the attacks at the urging of Mayor Rudy Giuliani, explaining how the museum became a place of solace through music, poetry, and public gathering. She also reflects on joining the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Board of Trustees in 2004, where she drew upon her museum experience to help guide decisions related to governance, visitor experience, museum operations, and institutional planning. Rafferty examines the emotional challenges of working alongside victims' family members as the Memorial and Museum evolved, highlighting the complexities of exhibition development, human remains, memorialization, and public interpretation. Throughout the interview, she emphasizes the importance of cultural institutions in fostering healing, preserving memory, and strengthening civic life, while reflecting on the dedication of the Museum's board, staff, and family members in creating a lasting place of remembrance for future generations.