This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Dec. 21, 2012 - Departing Missouri History Museum President Bob Archibald has been given over a half million dollars for what museum officials say is unused vacation days. And he’ll receive $270,000 to remain as a consultant for six months during the transition to new leadership.
Those were two of the takeaways conveyed to reporters by John Roberts, the chair of the Missouri History Museum’s board of trustees. He made those statements after a closed-door meeting Friday of the institution’s executive committee, held a day after Archibald announced he will leave the museum after 25 years.
Archibald’s surprise resignation came at the end of a drumbeat of controversy over his compensation and over the museum’s purchase of a tract of land on Delmar that was never developed. He had just recently signed a new one-year contract to lead the museum -- a contract that was reduced from three years after questions over his leadership surfaced.
Archibald was present at the executive board meeting but did not speak with reporters. His letter of resignation stated his departure would be "in the best interests of the museum to which I have given 25 years of service."
"The trustees have given me unequivocal support throughout my tenure for which I am deeply appreciative and profoundly grateful," wrote Archibald, adding that he would resign on Dec. 31. "I look forward to working with you and the entire board to create a seamless transition."
After the meeting, Roberts told reporters “it’s a shame” that Archibald’s “been driven from his position.”
“Bob has done a terrific job for this institution and this community,” he said.
Roberts said the roughly $566,000 for what the museum says is roughly 400 unused vacation days “has been paid.” He also said that Archibald would receive $270,000 as a consultant for six months while the museum looks for a new leader.
“He will not have any official capacity or an office here,” Roberts said. “But we need him to help with ongoing fundraising that he’s been very involved in. We need his help in some sort of transition.”
Archibald's consultant contract goes from Jan. 1 to June 30. Some of the duties stipulated in that document includes include:
- Focusing on "the transition of consultant’s prior role as chief executive officer to the interim chief executive officer and the senior staff;"
- Helping "the capital campaign and other fund raising and development activities;"
- Working "in connection with any request by the joint executive compensation committee of the museum and the Missouri History Museum Subdistrict with respect to selection of a new chief executive for the museum."
"Whenever you have a ... strong leader of an institution moving on to retirement, it’s very common to help with the transition period to new leadership," said executive board member Frank Steeves. "It’s really important for continuity.”
In that interim, Roberts said the museum will be run by the “administrative committee of the many people who reported to Bob.” Steeves said the board hasn't created a search committee yet to find a new president.
“And they will report to me, although I will not be running the museum,” Roberts said. “It will be those five people and if they have some questions, they can come to me or we have a consulting agreement with Bob.”
Much of the criticism of Archibald was led by four members of the eight-member board of commissioners of the Zoo-Museum District following a report by its audit committee. That report criticized in great detail the land purchase, Archibald’s salary and payout for unused vacation days and the general governance of the museum. When the report came up for a vote, the eight commissioners split 4-4 on whether to accept it.
The audit committee voted last week to ask a committee of the city’s Board of Aldermen to hold hearings into allegations that Archibald's vacation documents had been improperly shredded and removed from the museum. Roberts said whoever the board asks to come to those hearings will attend.
Steeves – who is Emerson Electric’s general counsel – called Archibald “an outstanding leader in this community,” adding that the board “did not want him to leave.”
Asked whether $270,000 for a six-month consultancy was excessive, Steeves contended that Archibald was foregoing far more in compensation by leaving. He added, “You have to get into what the market value of his services would be at other institutions of this type.”
He also said whether Archibald stayed or departed had no bearing on whether Emerson would continue to provide financial support for the museum.
“Emerson is a strong supporter of this museum,” Steeves said. “We always consider support for this institution and other institutions in town. And Bob resigning or staying doesn’t change anything. We support Bob. We’re standing right now in the Emerson wing that Bob put together and convinced Emerson to donate to. The relationship with Bob Archibald goes back really far. And to say that Emerson does anything but support Bob is ridiculous.”
Just last week, at a trustees’ meeting, and again two days ago, at a meeting of the commissioners of the museum’s subdistrict of the Zoo-Museum District, Archibald won praise and support for his leadership and 25-year tenure.
Asked what prompted Archibald to resign, Steeves said “I think this would be really hard on anybody.”
“I think he’s looking at his health, I think he’s looking at his family, I think he’s thinking of his life circumstance,” Steeves said. “And he’s looking at as he always has for this institution. And so he’s decided to walk away from a very nice contract and decided to help the community get past it. I think it’s typical of Bob to take the high road.”
Beacon reporter Dale Singer contributed information to this article.
