The Mark Twain House & Museum Appoints Dr. Cindy Lovell as its New Executive
Director

HARTFORD, January 11, 2013 -- Gregory Boyko, President of the Board of
Trustees of The Mark Twain House & Museum, announced today the appointment
of Dr. Cindy Lovell as the museum's Executive Director. Lovell is currently
Executive Director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal,
Missouri.

Lovell was chosen after a six-month national search, with a Search Committee
of the Board of Trustees considering nearly 50 applicants for the position.
The museum was aided in its efforts by PBR Executive Search, a New
York-based firm, and the position was advertised in museum publications
nationwide.

 "We are delighted to have been able to find someone with Dr. Lovell's
unique combination of strengths," said Boyko. "She has a strong track record
in fundraising, proven leadership, passion, energy -- and most important,
she has a deep devotion to Mark Twain. We look forward to working with her
to create a greater presence for The Mark Twain House & Museum by building
on Mark Twain as an international icon through an increased focus on writing
and literature."

"To have served in Hannibal and now in Hartford at the two homes where Sam
Clemens resided the longest is the highest honor I could know," Lovell said.
"I'm excited and eager to continue the collaboration between the two homes
in our shared vision of preserving Mark Twain's legacy."

Lovell succeeds Jeffrey L. Nichols, who left the museum in July to take a
position as President and CEO of Poplar Forest, a historic home owned by
Thomas Jefferson in Lynchburg, Virginia.

She will begin her new position on March 4. Interim Executive Director Patti
Philippon, the museum's Beatrice Fox Auerbach Chief Curator, will continue
to direct the museum until that date.

"I want to thank Patti for her stalwart efforts in keeping the museum going
over the past months, during an extremely busy period, and in continuing to
maintain the quality of our exhibitions and preservation efforts," said
Boyko.

Dr. Cindy Lovell has served as Executive Director of the Mark Twain Boyhood
Home & Museum since 2008. She is also a tenured associate professor of
education at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois.

Lovell grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania where she first fell in love with
Twain's writing at the age of ten. A non-traditional student, she began
college at the age of 35.  She holds a B.A. in elementary education and an
M.A. in education, both from Stetson University in Florida. She earned a
Ph.D in education from The University of Iowa, with concentrations in gifted
education and English as a new language.  She taught elementary school in
Florida where she earned tenure, then taught at her alma mater, Stetson
University, where she also earned tenure before moving to Hannibal.

In Hannibal she has directed the Mark Twain Young Authors workshop, taught
numerous writing workshops for adults, and co-directed the Mark Twain
Teacher Workshops with museum Curator Henry Sweets.  She has also presented
keynotes and educator workshops at various Big Read events around the
country for communities reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

A lover of children's literature, Lovell has authored two children's novels,
Rachel Mason Hears the Sound and Not This Sunday.  She co-authored Down the
Mississippi: A Modern-day Huck on America's River Road with CNN iReporter
Neal Moore, and is a contributor to The Huffington Post.  Lovell has
authored dozens of articles, textbook chapters, and essays.

Lovell's best known project is Mark Twain: Words & Music, a double CD
telling the story of Mark Twain's life in spoken word and song.  She
conceived the idea as a tribute to Twain to acknowledge the 100th
anniversary of his death in 2010.  The CD features Clint Eastwood as Twain,
Jimmy Buffett as Huck Finn, and Garrison Keillor as the narrator and
includes songs by Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill,
Ricky Skaggs and others.  It was released in 2011 as a benefit for the Mark
Twain Boyhood Home & Museum.  Lovell wrote the narrative and served as
co-executive producer with Carl Jackson, a Grammy award-winning musician.

At Quincy University Lovell has taught ethics in education, children's
literature, educational psychology, foundations of education, and two
first-year experience courses -- one on Twain, and one, Prison Nation, which
focuses on the prison crisis in America.  At Quincy she also serves as
counselor for Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society for educators.

Lovell serves on various boards and committees and has been recognized for
her work in the community.  She received the Hannibal NAACP Martin Luther
King, Jr. Award in 2010. Under her leadership, the Museum received the
Missouri Governor's 2010 Humanities Award for Exemplary Community
Achievement and the Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce 2011 Civic Contributor
Award.  Lovell also received the Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce 2012
Community Betterment Award and the 2012 Missouri Governor's Ambassador
Award.

Lovell collaborated with her colleagues at The Mark Twain House & Museum and
other Twain sites for the successful passage of the Mark Twain Commemorative
Coin Act, which benefits four major Twain institutions and was signed into
law by President Obama in December 2012.