"I went to the museum where they had all the heads and arms from the statues that are in all the other museums," claimed comedian Steven Wright in his dependably deadpan delivery. Whether or not this anecdote is verifiably true, it does make one reflect on the cultural significance of museums. To be enshrined in a museum is a tremendous accomplishment, one usually bestowed in honor of a previous tremendous accomplishment. Whether it be the Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece the Mona Lisa at the Louvre or Apollo 11 captain Michael Collins' toothbrush at the Smithsonian, having a personal item in a museum means someone did something significant. Such is surely the case for Connie Sweeris, pictured shaking hands with Zhou Enlai. An original picture of this historic encounter between the former Chinese Premier and the 1971 US Open table tennis champion is now a part of the The National Museum of American Diplomacy in Washington, D.C., a branch of the US Department of State. This year, we honor the 50th anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy, the series of fortunate events which led to drastically improved relations between the United States and China. Sweeris, one of nine Team USA members invited to China in 1971, recently donated a large collection of artifacts from the historic trip to the museum for posterity. The many one-of-a-kind mementos include numerous other photos, a hand-translated menu from a diplomatic dinner, various table tennis-related gifts from her hosts and her passport, hand-modified by the same State Department which now displays it to allow her previously illegal tour of communist China. The peace and prosperity of the modern world owe a great deal to the unconventional diplomatic measures between two of the world's superpowers a half-century ago. Connie Sweeris and her teammates played an integral role in the historic détente, and deserve every bit of recognition for doing so. A permanent place in a national museum is a great honor befitting a far greater accomplishment. Of course, she shouldn't lose her head over it or anything.
