What Didn’t Work: Tongue-Tied at the Top

One reason the Smithsonian regents failed to address the growing concerns is that the chancellor (the Smithsonian’s board chair) ran very tight meetings. By tradition, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court serves as Smithsonian board chancellor—a position that then Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist accepted eagerly. Perhaps applying the same techniques that he used in Supreme Court sessions, Rehnquist stipulated that none of the quarterly board meetings run longer than 90 minutes, and he strictly limited discussions. According to former regent Anne d’Harnoncourt, he once told regent Daniel Patrick Moynihan: “Senator, you may address the board only when recognized by the chancellor. When you are so recognized, your comments will be pertinent, non redundant, and brief.”