The New Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum

Title: “ The New Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum”.

Speaker: Mary Pat Higgins

Bio – Mary Pat Higgins, Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance 

As President and CEO of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, Mary Pat Higgins leads the Museum in its mission to teach the history the Holocaust and advance human rights to combat prejudice, hatred and indifference. 

Under Mary Pat’s leadership, the Museum underwent a significant transition as it moved from its transitional location to a new, permanent home, which opened to the public on September 18, 2019. The new state-of-the-art facility accommodates an expanded core exhibit and a larger volume of visitors. Additionally, it enables the Museum to grow its education program. The vision for the new Museum includes a broadened perspective, with exhibits and narratives focused on human and civil rights, pluralism and diversity, and other genocides, in addition to the history of the Holocaust. 

Mary Pat has been a longtime advocate for children and educational initiatives. Prior to her role at the Museum, Mary Pat served as Associate Head and Chief Financial Officer at The Hockaday School in Dallas. She oversaw the annual operating budget, numerous school departments, investment management for a $125 million endowment and substantial construction and renovation activities. 

Outside of the Museum, Mary Pat is active in the greater non-profit community of Dallas and has served on the boards of Oak Hill Academy, Preston Hollow Presbyterian School, Planned Parenthood of North Texas, KERA, the Dallas Women’s Foundation, and the President’s Visiting Council of Austin College.  She currently serves on the board of The Ursuline Academy.  She earned a bachelor's degree in Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin, is a Certified Public Accountant, and is a graduate of Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business Executive MBA Program.

Mary Pat and her husband, Lance, have lived in Dallas since 1989, and they have two grown sons who unfortunately do not live in Dallas.