Joseph Abel is the Curator for Industry and Engineering in the Aeronautics Department of the National Air and Space Museum. His research examines the history of working people and labor unions in the United States, with a particular focus on the development of equal employment and affirmative action policy in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Prior to joining the National Air and Space Museum, he held positions with the American Battlefield Trust, the Baltimore Museum of Industry, the National Labor College, and Florida International University. Abel's research has been featured in numerous publications, including the Journal of Southern History, the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, and various edited collections. He has also served as lead or co-curator for more than a dozen museum exhibits, including "Voices & Votes: The Democratic Experiment in Baltimore" (2022), "Tap-Talk-Text: Telecommunications in Maryland" (2018), and "Shuttered: Images from the Fall of Bethlehem Steel" (2019). Abel earned a B.A. in History from the University of Houston, an M.A. in History from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in History from Rice University.

Positions

• Land Preservation Manager, American Battlefield Trust 2021 - 2024
• Research Historian & Acting Curator, Baltimore Museum of Industry 2014 - 2021
• Curatorial Consultant, Jewish Museum of Maryland 2013 - 2014
• Adjunct Professor of Labor Studies, National Labor College 2013
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Southern Methodist University 2011 - 2012
• Visiting Professor of Labor Studies, Florida International University 2012

Geographic Focus

• United States of America  Country