  We follow the history of the US National Gemini Office from its origin when
the US National New Technology Telescope was reshaped into two 8m telescopes
for the International Gemini Observatory. The development of the office in the
decade of the 1990s continues to shape its function to the present. The
following decade, 2000-2010, marked major milestones including the dedication
of the telescopes, the reshaping of the Gemini instrumentation program, and
dissatisfaction of the US community as expressed in the ALTAIR report.
Nationally funded facilities are under financial pressure, as new projects must
be funded from a nearly fixed budget. We will discuss how the US NGO should be
used to advocate for both the US community and the Gemini Observatory. This
role could be an essential one in protecting open access to 8m-class
facilities.
