Howard Freedman was relatively new to the hobby, in Classic years. He had been a member of the Oregon Region since 1995. In 2005, he became a member of the CCCA Board, serving as Board Secretary, Vice President for Publications, head of the Finance Committee, and Treasurer.
It was during his tenure on the Board that he met Katie Robbins. Katie believed that if you wanted something done, you should give it to a busy person, so she convinced Howard to become involved with the Museum. Howard’s attitude was to do whatever needed to be done, no matter how big or small the job.
In 2012, he was elected president. He committed himself to bringing new ideas to the Board and bringing the Museum into the 21st century. Among the initiatives completed during his leadership were:
- Creating a website and making videos on all of our Classics.
- Digitizing the Custom Body Builders files, Classic Car magazine, and the CCCA Bulletin, with searchable functions.
- Modernizing the Museum’s heating, cooling, and full-time humidity control systems to facilitate the maintenance and preservation of our collection.
- Establishing a maintenance program to bring many of our Classics up to driving and cosmetic standards.
Over his tenure, Howard led many capital campaigns to raise money for much-needed storage, new cabinets with lighting for our mascot collection, and an elevator for easier access to the second floor. In 2019, he supported the addition of a 10,000-square-foot expansion, which not only displays our collection but also tells the story of the Classic Era for generations to come.
When Howard became president in 2012, many Classics had been part of the collection for 20 years. Two were especially historically significant: the 1938 Delahaye 135 cabriolet and the 1932 Stutz DV-32 Monte Carlo. Howard encouraged the Board to approve their restorations. Today, both serve as ambassadors for the Museum, participating in concours events and other marketing activities.
As the Museum grew, Howard took special care to lighten the load on both Katie Robbins and Dale Wells. Both were founders and had done the heavy lifting for decades. Howard brought on an Executive Director to ensure day-to-day leadership over the collection and marketing activities. Howard truly did bring the Museum into the 21st century.
When asked to serve as president of the Museum in 2012, Howard’s hope was to come close to filling the immense shoes of the people who preceded him and meeting the expectations of those who asked him to serve. Howard, you did that and more.The Board asked Howard to serve as president of the Museum for 10 years, a tribute to his hard work and dedication.
Howard passed away on August 3, 2025. The Classic Car Club of America Museum is deeply appreciative of all Howard did to improve the CCCA Museum and help secure its future.
