Charles A. Hyde
Presidential Sites Summit Speaker
Charles A. Hyde is a native Hoosier, majored in history at Hanover College and spent his senior year at the University of Oxford in England. Over the past two decades, Charlie has had successful tenures at Conner Prairie Living History Museum and the Indianapolis Zoo, building a reputation for innovative programs and engaging community partnerships. Since September 2014, he’s served the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site as its president & CEO and led the organization forward as it has developed two successful 5 year strategic plans—most recently in 2020, with an ambitious vision focused on innovation, inclusivity, and civic engagement. Under his leadership, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site has experienced significant growth, increasing attendance and receiving national attention for its Future Presidents of AmericaTM initiative, groundbreaking New Century 3D eCollection, Project POTUSTM, and Emmy-award winning documentary A President at the Crossroads (which has now aired more than 1,200 times on over 200 public media stations nationally). Most recently, he has successfully spearheaded the organization’s $6 million “Old Glory, New Vision” capital campaign. Charlie is immediate past president of the Indianapolis Consortium of Arts Administrators (ICAA), serves on the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC), and has wide ranging interests, including as an amateur sculptor, kayaker, and collector.
