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John Danforth agrees to get involved in history museum controversy

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 17, 2012 - Former Sen. John C. Danforth has agreed to help negotiate a new contract between the Missouri History Museum subdistrict and the museum's trustees, as requested by officials of the district as well as Mayor Francis Slay and County Executive Charlie Dooley.

In a letter to them today, Danforth -- who is now a partner in the law firm of Bryan Cave LLP -- noted that the firm has represented the museum for many years.

"More specifically, my partner, Frank Wolff has long advised the History Museum on many issues including matters of governance. This relationship could reasonably raise questions about my impartiality as a negotiator unless, as your letter states, you are aware of it and, nevertheless, would like my assistance."

So long as the request was made "with the knowledge of all parties of this relationship," Danforth said he would accept the request to become involved and would serve on a pro bono basis.

The request for renegotiation comes in the wake of controversy over land purchased six years ago by the museum for a community center -- a center that was never built. Questions have been raised about the relationship between the head of the museum, Robert Archibald, and former Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr., one of the owners of the one-acre site on Delmar.

In his letter Thursday, Danforth said:

"You have asked me to undertake a responsibility that is prospective only. You would like me to assist in the negotiations of a new contract between the History Museum Subdistrict of the Zoo Museum District and the Trustees of the Missouri History Museum that would 'revise and update the governance provisions of the [existing] contract.' Your letter expressly states that, '[you] are not asking [me] to address any other issues.' I understand this to mean that I will not examine or express opinions on past circumstances such as real estate transactions and employment agreements, and I will confine my effort to an attempt to negotiate a revised governance structure for the Museum."

Our earlier story:

Mayor Francis Slay, County Executive Charlie Dooley and three commissioners with the Zoo-Museum District want former Sen. John Danforth to help resolve questions – and any appearance of impropriety – involving the Missouri History Museum and a controversy over land it purchased in the city.

Danforth told the Beacon that he is thinking about the request and could make a decision as early as tomorrow.

A letter, dated Tuesday, praises Danforth’s “well-deserved reputation for honesty, skilled diplomacy, and impartial pursuit of the public good” in arenas from the United Nations to Sudan to Waco, Texas.

“We strongly believe that no one is better equipped to lead this effort,” the letter states. “We ask you simply to lead our community to the correct result to protect this valued cultural asset while also protecting the public interest.”

Reached by the Beacon, Danforth said the issue was “getting the parties to work something out that is agreeable,” and he would consider the request.

“I’d like to help St. Louis,” he said, “and I’d like to help out where public institutions are concerned and where public confidence is concerned.”

At issue is what the letter called the “current controversy” over a land deal involving museum head Robert Archibald and former Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. – detailed in a series of reports in the Post-Dispatch.

The one-acre site on Delmar, which formerly housed a barbecue restaurant in which Bosley was an investor, was bought six years ago for possible use as a community center. But it was never developed, and questions have been raised about the purchase and involvement of Archibald and Bosley.

The letter notes that the contract between the history museum and the Zoo-Museum District has been unchanged since 1987, a period in which the museum “has flourished.”

But, it notes, the contract between the museum and the district “does not contain specific provisions as to the breadth of the oversight and governance responsibilities” of commissioners who are confirmed by the mayor and the county executive.

“In an era when increasing levels of transparency and accountability are expected by all citizens,” it adds, “we have asked the ZMD, the History Museum Subdistrict and the Museum to jointly revise and update the governance provisions of the contract to reflect the proper relationship between the public and private interests.”

The controversy over the land purchase led the letter writers to stress “the importance of resolving these issues in a manner that will be acceptable to all interested parties [so] we are asking you to negotiate a new contract – one that incorporates meaningful provisions to protect and defend the public/private partnership and the interests of both the taxpayers who fund 60 percent of the History Museum and the private donors who fund the balance.”

The letter writers note that Bryan Cave, the law firm where Danforth is a partner, has long represented the museum – a fact that Danforth said everyone involved should certainly consider and understand that it could pose a problem.

“Nevertheless,” the letter said, “for the reasons set out above, we have every confidence that you will discharge your responsibilities with only the best interests of the community at heart."

The letter was signed by Slay; Dooley; Ben Uchitelle, chairman of the Zoo-Museum District board; Romondous Stover, chairman of the board of the history museum subdistrict; and V. Raymond Stranghoener, chair of the board of the museum.

Dale Singer began his career in professional journalism in 1969 by talking his way into a summer vacation replacement job at the now-defunct United Press International bureau in St. Louis; he later joined UPI full-time in 1972. Eight years later, he moved to the Post-Dispatch, where for the next 28-plus years he was a business reporter and editor, a Metro reporter specializing in education, assistant editor of the Editorial Page for 10 years and finally news editor of the newspaper's website. In September of 2008, he joined the staff of the Beacon, where he reported primarily on education. In addition to practicing journalism, Dale has been an adjunct professor at University College at Washington U. He and his wife live in west St. Louis County with their spoiled Bichon, Teddy. They have two adult daughters, who have followed them into the word business as a communications manager and a website editor, and three grandchildren. Dale reported for St. Louis Public Radio from 2013 to 2016.