Exhibition Lecture Baron Wolmanand the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Greg Harris, president and CEO, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
In this lecture, Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, will reflect on his experience leading one of the nation’s foremost cultural institutions dedicated to popular music. Drawing on his work with the Rock Hall’s renowned collections and exhibitions, Harris will explore the significance of the Baron Wolman Collection, including its role in documenting the emergence of rock and roll culture and shaping how audiences understand the visual history of the era.
Greg Harris is in his 13th year as president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. As CEO, he has guided the organization through an era of unprecedented transformation, focusing on innovation to drive growth. Under his leadership, the Rock Hall has significantly increased attendance, revenue, fan engagement and community impact in fulfillment of its mission to “engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll.” Having welcomed over 15 million visitors contributing over $2.5 billion in economic impact to the region, the 31-year-old museum is pushing the envelope even further. A 50,000-square-foot expansion project designed by the world-renowned architecture firm PAU was announced in 2023, and construction will be completed in 2026. This dramatic project will channel the energy of rock and roll, pay homage to the existing I.M. Pei building, and amp up the museum’s lakefront location. With this bold museum expansion, fans will continue to experience the connective power of music in our unparalleled, technologically advanced, interactive exhibits and programs.
Before joining the RRHOF, Harris spent 14 years as a senior executive at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., where he advanced from curating the Hall of Fame’s broadcast media collection to ultimately serving as vice president of development. He launched and grew multiple new divisions, including establishing government affairs and development offices, led their earliest online collaborations, worked directly with inductees and created a strong national network of donors, sponsors and influencers.
Harris’ passion for music stoked the shift from baseball to rock and roll. In the 1980s, he and a partner founded, owned and operated the legendary Philadelphia Record Exchange, a retail store that specializes in selling rare, used and independent records. The store mirrored and amplified his love of soul, blues, country, folk, punk and other forms of rock and roll. He also served as a road manager for a nationally touring group and played mediocre guitar in garage bands.
A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Harris holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Temple University and a master’s degree from the Cooperstown Graduate Program for History and Museum Studies.
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