Mütter Museum’s controversial executive director is gone; new CEO weighs in

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After a few turbulent years, Kate Quinn, the executive director of Philadelphia’s popular Mütter Museum, is no longer working at the institution. Museum leadership confirmed that Quinn’s last day was Monday.

The museum draws thousands of visitors every year with a collection of old medical instruments, anatomical models, and specimens and once had the tagline “disturbingly informative.” Quinn’s leadership over the past 2.5 years has been polarizing, and led to both internal and external controversies. Notably, some loyal fans thought the museum was losing its identity; whereas others saw the museum as evolving with the times when it comes to how to ethically deal with a collection that includes historic human remains, which museums around the world are grappling with.

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, which runs the museum, said they are confident in Erin McLeary and Sara Ray, two science historians who will take over Quinn’s duties.

They will move the museum forward, said Dr. Larry Kaiser, a thoracic surgeon who took over as CEO of the college earlier this year.

“Both Erin and Sara have great ideas as to how we can continue to provide the context of education that many of these exhibits really do require,” he said. “The museum is a true treasure, and we want to maintain the excellence of the museum that has led thousands and thousands of people to come and visit.”

The controversy started two years ago, when Quinn, then executive director, removed all the museum’s popular educational YouTube videos and online exhibits, in the name of an ethical review of the museum’s entire collection. That shocked some fans, as well as a notable donor who had given his own heart to the museum after undergoing an organ transplant so more people could learn about acromegaly, the rare condition he has. The donor had used the museum’s video about his heart to help medical staff learn about his condition. He became so upset that he later asked for his heart back.

Kaiser said the museum will continue a review of their collection and a grant-funded program to ask for community feedback. There will be one more community session in the coming months before the museum reports its findings. He said the museum will not shy away from questions about what is ethically appropriate and how a museum can deal with it now.

“To me, that’s really the interesting aspect of this incredible collection that we have here,” Kaiser said.

But he also acknowledges the museum could have done better when it came to removing its videos and online exhibits in the first place.

“Because of the way it was done quite abruptly, it did create some controversy,” he said.

However, there will also be some changes.

For instance, Quinn had cancelled popular fundraising events, like a Halloween celebration. Kaiser said some of those will be back.

“Some of those events were very well attended, very popular,” he said. “It is my vision to restore many of those.”

A current employee at the Mütter said all staff are thrilled that Quinn is out. WHYY is not identifying them because they have not been authorized to give interviews. They say that doing an ethical review of the collection is important and worthwhile, but Quinn’s style led to more problems and confusion, and many people left because of her.

“We now are in a position where we have the right people in place to move forward with that information in a way that is responsible, and is true to the nature of the museum and the collection, and is not going to be a kind of destructive process.”

Kaiser confirmed that several staff members complained about Quinn to human resources, but added that personnel issues can come up in any large organization.

In an email to all museum staff, Kaiser said they “thank Kate for her contributions to the College and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

The college did not make Quinn available to comment.