A decision on moving forward with a name change for the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center appears to be in limbo.
The matter was not included in the agenda for the museum’s board of directors meeting this week at the wishes of board members who say they have bigger issues to attend to, said museum director Helen Alten.
The board voted in October to change the name, although the significance of that vote has been qualified by board members. Also since the vote, opponents of the change, including Sheldon family members, have spoken out.
Museum board vice-chair Jim Shook, who presided at the October meeting and brought the issue to a vote, said his intent was to bring the issue to a head. “It’s been brought up so many times over the years. The intent was accomplished… All it takes is a vote in another direction to not change it at all.”
Shook said: “The name change will be long and drawn out. I don’t anticipate anything notable to occur this winter. We made a vote, but it involves a lot of people other than the board. So we’re going to make it a much longer process.”
Board chair Jim Heaton is stepping down this week, and new members are joining the board.
Two of the four surviving grandchildren of museum namesake Steve Sheldon wrote the board a letter Oct. 26, asking that it reconsider its decision. Granddaughter Betsy Hakkinen Galloway said “a number of possible compromises could be considered.”
“Without the efforts of the (Sheldon) family and the assistance of many local organizations and community members, the museum would not exist at all. But most of all, without Steve Sheldon Sr. himself, there would never have been a historical collection to start with!” the letter says.
In an interview this week, Galloway said her family hasn’t received feedback of any kind from museum officials.
Museum director Alten, who supports a change, said this week that other museums have changed their names. Board members and staffers who support the change say it would eliminate confusion with Sitka’s Sheldon Jackson Museum and help bring in visitors. The current name doesn’t make the museum’s purpose evident, they say.