Cotton Museum leader stepping down after 17 years
Cotton is a staple in South Carolina and produced more than 500,000 bales in 2014, according to the National Cotton Council.
And like the crop he takes care of, Janson Cox is a staple at the South Carolina Cotton Museum in Bishopville.
Cox came to the museum in 1998 and has served as executive director for 17 years. But after all those years, he is stepping down. at the end of the year.
Cox has turned the Cotton Museum into more than just a cash crop cornucopia; he’s expanded it with interactive exhibits and a veterans museum.
He’s made the Cotton Museum nationally known and notes that people come from across the country have traveled to the small South Carolina community town just to visit.
Cox said that a family came in recently from Seattle and wanted to see their grandmother’s memorabilia in the veterans part of the museum. He said that’s one of the most enjoyable things about his job, getting to talk to people and being hands-on with a lot of the exhibits.
“I enjoy doing it. I enjoy talking with the people. I enjoy working the exhibits and the artifacts,” Cox said. “I have the knowledge to handle some of the stuff, which gives you a comfort zone you don’t have otherwise.”
Since Cox took over the Cotton Museum, he’s also added a library, and he’s created new exhibits like the oral history of war, featuring the recorded stories of local veterans on DVDs for guests to listen to.
Cox’s love affair with museum work started long before he got to Bishopville. He grew up volunteering at museums and that love continued when he was studying mathematics at The Citadel.
He initially tried to get a job geo-mapping after college but said his employer didn’t want to hire someone with glasses.
He had an interview lined up with NASA next, but one phone call changed his plans. It was The Citadel asking if he could serve as acting director of The Citadel Memorial Museum. Cox took the job, recalling, “What else was I going to do?”
Cox has worked previously at museums in upstate New York and in Charleston, where he served 25 years as manager of the Charles Towne landing before coming to Bishopville.
When he decided to retire from the Charles Towne landing to move to Bishopville, he promised the museum he’d only work five years. He’s been there a dozen years longer and says the the excitement of new challenges and the people in the community keeps him coming back.
Cox’s passion for his job is evident. Wearing an infectious smile, he laughs and says, “I do what I love, and I love what I do.”
Cox will take a year to train his replacement. But he says retirement won’t stop him from coming back to the place he’s called home for so long. He said he still wants to volunteer and work with the upkeep and building of new exhibits.
“I still have my health. I still have my physical body. I still have the enthusiasm. Hey, I'll come back here and volunteer.”