Lawrence M. Small

Lawrence M. Small was the

The Smithsonian's Board of Regents appointed Small as the Secretary on January 24, 2000 on the strength of his management experience. They hoped he would be able to improve the institution's management and fund-raising, bringing a business style to what had traditionally been a very academic institution. He expanded the commercial sponsorship of museum exhibitions.[3] Roger Sant, the chairman of the executive committee of the Board of Regents, claimed that Small had helped raise $1.1 billion for the institution and contributed half a million dollars himself.^[4]

Small's plans were met with considerable resistance. In 2001, Small withdrew his proposal to close the Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia (now the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute) after strong opposition from scientists.^[5]

In 2004, Small pleaded guilty to violating federal bird-protection laws (

In 2006, the Smithsonian agreed to a deal with Showtime Networks to create Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture to create television programming with the Smithsonian's resources. Controversy over the deal emerged when it was disclosed that the network had the right of first refusal for commercial documentaries that rely heavily on Smithsonian collections or staff.^[7]

In 2007, Acting Smithsonian Inspector General A. Sprightley Ryan reviewed Small's expenses and reported that $90,000 of expenses between 2000 and 2005 were unauthorized, prompting the watchdog group

A subsequent independent report commissioned by the Smithsonian was highly critical of Small's "imperialistic and insular" management style, including documented resistance to sharing information with the Regents and the audit committee. It also disputed claims earlier made on Small's behalf (see above) on the extent of his personal fund-raising achievements. The Smithsonian in response acknowledged the need to institute reforms in its governance and oversight arrangements.[10]

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