Updated: 3/15/2021 
Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention
Gainesville, Florida
Description
Cade Museum for Creativity+Invention

To inspire creative thinking, future inventors, and early entrepreneurs. The Cade Museum for Creativity + Invention - located in Gainesville, Florida - is named for Dr. James Robert Cade, the physician, musician, researcher and inventor best known for leading the University of Florida team that created Gatorade, to honor his creative spirit and passion for new ideas. The Cade Museum is a hands-on solution to some very real problems. American Creativity Quotient (CQ) scores have been steadily and significantly declining since 1990*, coupled with falling academic performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). We propose to help change that by highlighting the link between creative thought and breakthrough ideas. For the first time, hands-on science and art experimentation will be linked, highlighted and informed by the work of inventors past and present, including bringing contemporary entrepreneurs and students together. The Cade Museum’s goal is not just to have our visitors know about creativity and invention but to become inventors and entrepreneurs. Every exhibit, workshop and program will move our audience closer to using their own creativity in purposeful ways. Our educational goal is to make everyone understand that they are, or can be, creative—to take “creativity” off the pedestal that it is normally placed upon. And we have already taken great leaps toward achieving this goal. In 2010 the Cade began to inspire future inventors and entrepreneurs through the annual Cade Museum Prize, a $50,000 award provided by the Community Foundation of North Central Florida, given to a project that demonstrates originality and its potential to have a large impact. In 2012 the Cade opened the Creativity Lab in our “temporary” offices and began offering classes, workshops, outreach events and collaborative programs for children. And in this first year we have already reached thousands. The excitement is growing and so is our reputation. We do science differently! It's no accident that the Cade Museum is located in Gainesville, within minutes of Innovation Square and the University of Florida. Gainesville is quickly becoming a community known for its commitment to innovation in every form. Science+technology, arts+culture - all have found a home and a place to thrive here. The Cade Museum will occupy a prime position in downtown Gainesville's Depot Park. The Park is a city project to re-purpose previously unusable land and reflects the Museum's commitment to new technologies and construction. Phase 1 of the project - expected to break ground by late 2015 - will see the construction of a 21,000 square foot facility on a 2-acre site and cost approximately $9 million. During Phase II an additional 24,000 square feet will be added for a finished project of 45,000 square feet.

Mission
Cade Museum for Creativity+Invention

OUR MISSION To inspire creative thinking, future inventors, and early entrepreneurs so that communities flourish. We Believe in Creativity! Why is creativity our passion? Studies show that it is a better predictor of success and happiness in life than the intelligence quotient. The good news is that everyone has creative potential and that creativity can be taught. Our classes, programs, and exhibits are designed to engage vistors in "purposeful creativity," the kind that leads to great inventions, new businesses and ideas that change the world. Purposeful creativity reflects the character of our namesake, Dr. James Robert Cade, the University of Florida physician that led the team that invented Gatorade in 1965. Scientist, poet, musician, and a collector of violins and Studebakers, Dr. Cade exemplified joyful creativity with a purpose. We Believe in the Power of a Great Idea! We believe that great ideas happen when disciplines intersect in novel and exciting ways. Many famous inventors are also musicians and artists, and report that their inspiration often comes when engaged in the arts. Einstein, an accomplished violinist, even said that the theory of relativity "came to [him] through musical intuition." Even the best scientists need a creative team. The most successful teams often include a mix of disciplines, like theoretical scientists combined with practical engineers or creative designers. We Believe in Inspiring Future Inventors and Entrepreneurs! Rather than teaching subjects in isolation, unconnected to daily life, we teach and inspire through inventions, creating an interlocking tapestry of experiences. Like the best museums, the Cade Museum will provide great experiences with interactive learning, programs, and opportunities to grow into your creative potential. "Living Exhibits" connect local and national inventors, entrepreneurs, and creative problem solvers with school children and adults alike. We Believe in Creative Transformation! We believe that transforming a forgotten crossroads into a crown jewel of the community is a compelling symbol illustrating the very essence of the creative process. The architectural design of our museum, with intersecting crossroads, encompasses the overarching theme of purposeful creativity, and will allow visitors to connect their own experiences to the larger narrative of the human creative endeavor. The Cade Museum will occupy a prime position in downtown Gainesville's Depot Park. Phase One of our project will be completed by late 2015 with a 21,000 square foot exceptional design, providing a portal to export our ideas, inventions, and innovations to the world. During Phase Two, an additional 24,000 square feet will be added.

History

The Cade Museum for Creativity + Invention is named for Dr. James Robert Cade, a professor of renal (kidney) medicine at the University of Florida and the lead inventor of the sports drink Gatorade. Although he is most widely remembered for Gatorade, he was a man of many parts; a true Renaissance man. On the title page of his autobiography, Freut Euch Des Lebens (Take Joy in Life) Cade described himself as a "physician, scientist, musician, and inventor." At the time of his death in 2007, Cade had a collection of over 30 violins, (some of them dating to the 17th century) and over 60 Studebaker carriages and automobiles from the late 1800's to 1965. He was also an accomplished writer and poet. "Great poetry," Cade once wrote, "combines music, emotion and intellect in a way nothing else can." He often quoted his favorite line from Tennyson's Ulysses "I am part of all that I have met; yet all experience is an arch where through gleams that untraveled world whose margin fades forever when I move." In addition to Gatorade, Cade's inventions included the first shock-dissipating football helmet, a high-protein milkshake used by surgical patients, athletes, and cancer patients, and a method for treating autism and schizophrenia through diet modification. Researchers, led by Cade's former colleague Dr. Luis Juncos, are continuing his autism research at the J. Robert Cade Foundation in Cordoba, Argentina using much of Dr. Cade's data and equipment. Dr. Cade was also a man of great faith. A lifelong Lutheran, he was the 1991 recipient of the Wittenberg Award and gave generously to many Lutheran colleges and organizations. His Christian beliefs inspired and informed everything he did, including his scientific research, hobbies, and friendships with people from all walks of life. In the last years of his life he and his wife Mary established and endowed the Gloria Dei Foundation, a small grant-giving organization focused primarily on the needs of the poor and under-served. They also helped establish the Gainesville Community Foundation, through which the Cade family, among other projects, has contributed to the building of the Fisher House (for the families of wounded veterans) in Gainesville. Cade was born on September 26, 1927 in San Antonio, Texas. After service in the Navy at the end of World War II, he attended school at the University of Texas from 1948-1950. In 1953 he married Mary (Strasburger) Cade, a nurse from Dallas. In 1961, after completing a post-doctoral fellowship at Cornell University Hospital in New York City, Dr. Cade took a position at the University of Florida medical school, where he remained the rest of his life. Together he and Mary raised six children and helped raise twenty grandchildren. Dr. Cade died in Gainesville on November 27, 2007. Birth of a Brand Gatorade was the result of an offhand question posed in 1965 by former University of Florida linebacker Dwayne Douglas to Dr. J Robert Cade, a professor of renal medicine. "Why don't football players ever urinate during a game?" Cade and his team of researchers - Drs. Alejandro de Quesada, Jim Free, and Dana Shires - began investigating dehydration on the sports field – a topic on which no reliable data existed. They soon designed and tested a drink that replaced the electrolytes lost through sweat during intense exercise. With the permission of the coaches, Cade's team was allowed to test the drink on the freshman football team, which unexpectedly beat the upperclassmen in a practice session. Ray Graves, Florida's head coach, immediately ordered up a large batch for his varsity squad, and in October of 1965, the Gators beat the LSU tigers in an upset. Soon other teams wanted to know what the Gators were drinking on the sidelines. In 1967, the Gators, after a miserable first half, dominated Georgia Tech in the third and fourth quarters to win 27-12 in its first-ever Orange Bowl victory. After the game, Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd told Gator coach Ray Graves, "We didn't have Gatorade. That made the difference." Success on the gridiron led to national publicity and commercial potential. Without the help of others to commercialize it, however, Gatorade would have remained an interesting experiment. Dr. Kent Bradley initiated contact with the food company Stokely Van Camp and Dr. Gene Tubbs was instrumental in negotiating the deal that eventually led Stokely to acquire the rights to market Gatorade. Lab technician Loren Roby ran critical tests of sweat and blood samples to determine the drink's effect on athletes. University of Florida athletic trainers Jim Cunningham and Brady Greathouse realized the critical importance of dealing directly with trainers and players to promote the effectiveness of the drink. Today Gatorade, owned by Pepsi, dominates almost 80% of the sports beverage market with worldwide sales of about $5 billion a year. The phenomenal success of Gatorade was chronicled in the book First in Thirst by Darren Rovell. The Future Inspired by the Past In 2004, Dr. Cade and his family established the Cade Museum Foundation to design and build a museum in Gainesville. The foundation is endowed with a permanent gift to cover all staff and operational costs, as well as limited programming. The Cade Museum, scheduled to open in late 2015, will reflect Dr. Cade's outlandish spirit, zest for life and new ideas and his constant, genuine interest in helping, motivating and encouraging people of all ages and experience.

Programs
Cade Museum Classes, Programs, and Camps

STEAM is an acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. At the Cade Museum for Creativity + Invention ALL of our classes and programming are developed with STEAM in mind. It is the scaffolding upon which we created the Cade Way of teaching, underscoring that learning happens best when disciplines intersect. The Cade Museum offers programs, classes and camps for students beginning at age 6. Classes take place in our Creativity Lab and Fab Lab and range from "Making Bubble Gum and Ice Cream" to LEGO Robotics and lasers. A varied selection of courses is created for the Fall(Sept- December) Spring (January- May) and Summer (June-July). The Cade Museum is constantly adding and updating classes. We create programs that teach about invention and entrepreneurship in the hopes of inspiring the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs with classes like the Living Inventor Series and Early Entrepreneur Series targeted at Middle and High School students. We have a Summer Volunteer Program so that High School students can become assistants in our labs and help the younger students learn about STEAM while furthering their own education and service to others. And our classes capture the imaginations of the youngest with endless opportunities for hands on learning they do not generally experience in the school setting. Classes range in price beginning at $20.00 for a two hour class. The Cade Museum offers a limited number of scholarships for all of our classes in that hopes that every students who wants to participate in our programs can do so.

DISCLAIMER
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

April 27 - April 29, 2025

Oregon Museum Association 2025 Conference

TBA

Independence, Oregon

Beginning in 2025, the OMA annual conference will be held in Spring rather than Fall

The conference this year is all about trying new things. We are hoping to organize the conference into the following four tracks: Collections Care, Leadership, Emergency Preparedness, and Tourism

Check our website for more details in early 2025

The OMA newsletter is emailed every month with updates on OMA events, museum news, other events, trainings, jobs, grants and more for the museum community in Oregon.

For more information, please email connect@oregonmuseums.org.

October 1 - October 4, 2025

Western Museums Association’s (WMA) 2025 Annual Meeting

TBA

Reno, Nevada

Save the Date for WMA 202

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, join us to build relationships and soar higher than ever before. With the theme of ELEVATE, WMA 2025 will explore ways to lift up the experiences of cultural professionals and the communities they serve.

In Reno, Nevada, 4,400 feet above sea level, we will forward the progress of museums by looking to the future.

May 6 - May 9, 2025

2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) ANNUAL MEETING & MUSEUMEXPO

Los Angeles Convention Center

Los Angeles, California

AAM 2025 will focus on the theme, Museums & Trust.

Museums have long inspired high levels of public trust, surpassing news outlets, government organizations, researchers and scientists, corporations, and social media platforms. This consistent finding underscores our institutions’ unique position in society as stewards of knowledge, culture, science, and history—areas where credibility and reliability are paramount

In an era marked by mistrust and misinformation, museums have a rare ability to counterbalance the proliferation of false narratives and polarized perspectives. Using our trusted position, we can cultivate a more healthy, empathetic, and informed society.

But to do so, we must maintain our credibility proactively, embracing thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative practices that will defend against influences like bias, resource challenges, abuse of power, and social injustice

An Incredible MuseumExpo

AAM is again partnering this year with the Museum Store Association to host an incredible combined expo hall. Find the most innovative services, products, and solutions in the museum field. With 350 exhibitors, you are bound to find the right partner for your museum’s current challenges and opportunities.

May 5 - May 9, 2025

Museum Store Association FORWARD 2025 in LA

The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Join MSA in LA

We’re excited about our next MSA FORWARD Conference & Expo in “The City of Angels” – Los Angeles, California in conjunction with the American Alliance of Museums

Join the Museum Store Association (MSA) and hundreds of nonprofit retail professionals for the 70th Annual MSA FORWARD Retail Conference & Expo, taking place May 5-9, 2025 at The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Once again, MSA FORWARD will be held in conjunction with the 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting & Expo

Learn best practices and new ideas for store merchandising, operations, marketing, and sale

Participate in dedicated networking events and create connections that will inspire new ideas

Meet with over 200 MSA vendors about your product needs

Hear from knowledgeable industry experts during session breakouts and keynote presentations

Network with AAM attendees and exhibitor

September 10 - September 13, 2025

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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