New Museum Chief Calls Fund Raising a Priority : James Lawrence Powell Hopes to Build on Research Reputation of County’s Museum of Natural History

Dinosaur exhibits and a saber-toothed cat logo once drew the most attention at Los Angeles County’s Natural History Museum. But recent turmoil among the staff and the appointment of a new executive director have become the focus of recent public attention.

Last week, museum officials announced that James Lawrence Powell will replace Craig C. Black as head of the 80-year-old institution, effective July 1. Powell, executive director of the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, will inherit a museum plagued by internal turmoil and a budget that has been whittled from about $14 million to $9 million by the county.

Richard S. Volpert, chairman of the museum’s foundation, said Powell’s appointment reflected the need to improve morale at the museum as well as increase financial support for the facility.

“There were several things we were looking for, and clearly . . . staff esprit de corps needs a lot of attention,” Volpert said. “Secondly, fund raising is important. We’ve got to put the museum more visibly on the map so we can raise funds. And thirdly, I’m hopeful we can work out some type of reliable relationship with the county.”

Volpert said Powell’s expertise as a fund-raiser and his academic credentials would help attract money and enhance the museum’s reputation. “He’s a very experienced person. Just look at his resume,” Volpert said.

In a telephone interview from his home in Philadelphia, Powell agreed thatfund raising must be a priority.

“I know that one of the reasons the board hired me is because of my fund-raising skills, and I enjoy doing it and have a good track record,” he said.

Powell, a geologist, currently serves on the National Science Board. Before coming to the Franklin Institute in 1991, he was president of Reed College in Portland, Ore.. He served as president of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., from 1983 until 1988.

“We’re sad to see him go and will greatly miss the leadership he provided us here,” said Joseph Moore, executive vice president of the Franklin Institute. “When Dr. Powell arrived, he was instrumental in bringing the (fund-raising) campaign to closure by putting into place a truly comprehensive . . . program.”

Powell helped raise almost $9 million in less than two years and helped reorganize management of the Franklin Institute’s staff, Moore said.

Powell said he is leaving the Franklin Institute because Los Angeles is the city of the future. “It’s the place where we can make a multicultural museum work. I’m interested in science and science research. The museum has a strong history in both these areas, and my wife is from Los Angeles.”

The appointment marks the end of an 11-month search to replace Black, whose 12-year tenure as the museum’s executive director recently came under fire and led the County Board of Supervisors to order an audit of the Exposition Park museum last year. The report prepared by the county auditor-controller’s office found museum managers had violated Civil Service rules during a recent round of layoffs and failed to maintain an adequate inventory of the museum’s collection.

In addition, the report found that Black used county employees to remodel his Hancock Park home and said the county had not been fully reimbursed by the museum foundation for the work. He was cleared of any serious wrongdoing.

Black announced his retirement a few days before the report was issued. The announcement touched off a nationwide search for a replacement. A private search firm narrowed the field to four candidates before Powell was selected.

Despite Black’s recent troubles, supporters praised the Harvard-educated paleontologist as an innovator. Under his 12-year tenure, attendance at the museum grew by nearly 20% and private contributions to the museum increased from about $400,000 to $5 million annually.

But critics had questioned the direction Black was taking at the museum and the allotment of scarce resources to a marine sciences program.

Volpert defended Black, saying many of the problems were caused by budget cuts.

“What you are dealing with at the museum is . . . an over 50% cut in county positions because of funding cuts. And I can’t think of any institution where if you cut 50% of the staff, you aren’t going to have a great deal of turmoil,” Volpert said.

Museum officials said Powell’s salary has yet to be settled but that the county’s contribution to the director’s pay will remain unchanged. Black earns about $96,000 a year from the county, and the museum foundation pays him about $85,000.

Black has said he will retire to Albuquerque, N.M., where he will continue to do research and teach. He declined comment last week.