2 people who donated parts of their bodies to Philly’s Mütter Museum now want them back
This comes as the relatively new leadership grapples with how to approach their collection, which includes a lot of human remains.
7 months ago
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The Mütter Museum on South 22nd Street in Philadelphia. (Google Maps)
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The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia and its parent organization, The College of Physicians, have selected Dr. Larry R. Kaiser as the new CEO of the historic medical society and popular museum of pathologies.
Kaiser, a thoracic surgeon, led the Temple University Health System for a decade and has been active on the board of the College of Physicians for over three decades. Most recently, he was a managing director of the management consulting firm Alvarez and Marsal.
“Dr. Kaiser has the experience and demonstrated leadership capabilities needed to move the College forward at this critical time in our history,” board chair Dr. Erica R. Thaler said in a statement.
Kaiser takes the seat of Dr. Mira Irons, who stepped down in September 2023. He started Monday.
Kaiser comes to the College of Physicians at a turbulent time as the Mütter Museum is overhauling its approach to displaying medical pathologies. The exhibition of human remains, many of which are damaged by disease, have made it both popular and controversial. Some people willfully leave their remains to the museum for future public study, but other, historical remains were acquired without consent.
Museum director Kate Quinn and the former CEO Irons abruptly took down online education videos, which sparked a backlash from fans of the museum and its staff, many of whom left the organization. In the last year and a half, the museum has held a series of public town hall discussions to chart a future course.
How the museum will address its collection of human remains is yet to be determined. Kaiser will also be overseeing a capital campaign to raise funds for a major physical renovation and expansion of its campus on 22nd Street.
“The addition of the building at 2129 Chestnut Street offers so many outstanding possibilities,” Kaiser said in a statement. “I think that the College and the Museum are positioned for great days ahead.”