Museum of the Rockies Gets 2 Million Dollar Donation

[Richard W Travsky <rtravsky@uwyo.edu>]

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2003/07/25/news/01donationbzbigs.txt

Friday, August 29, 2003

Locked in the vaults at the Museum of the Rockies are thousands of
dinosaur bones that the public never gets to see.

In fact, only a fraction of the museum's specimens are on display.

But now that will change, thanks to a $2 million donation -- the largest
donation in the museum's history -- announced Thursday that will help
triple the museum's dinosaur exhibits' space.

"We're going to take those fossils out of the basement and put them out
for all the world to see," said Shelley McKamey, interim museum director.

Software entrepreneur Thomas Siebel, founder of Siebel Systems, and his
wife Stacey are giving the money to the museum to build the "Siebel
Dinosaur Complex."

The exhibit will be partially designed by world renowned MOR
paleontologist Jack Horner and based on his recently published children's
book "Dinosaurs Under the Big Sky."
...
"They were excited about the way the museum uses dinosaurs as a vehicle
for science education for children," Museum Board President Carl Lehrkind
said of the Siebels.

The Siebel complex will include up to 12,000 square feet of museum space,
although no expansion of the museum building will be needed, McKamey said.

But beyond the size, details are sketchy -- museum staff, board members
and the Siebels are just waiting to see what Horner comes up with.

"We're dying to find out," McKamey said. "Jack (Horner) has it in his
mind, and I know it's clear there, but he's working to put it down on
paper."

It's fair to say, however, that it will be anything but ordinary, McKamey
said. "Jack's always done things his own way."

Horner was in eastern Montana excavating dinosaurs and couldn't make the
press conference.
...