March 10, 2014 | Read Time: 1 minute
David Skorton, president of Cornell University, today was named to head the Smithsonian Institution, the organization’s Board of Regents announced. When he starts, in July 2015, he will succeed G. Wayne Clough, who announced in September that he planned to step down.
Dr. Skorton, a 64-year-old cardiologist, was chosen in part for his skill in fundraising. He helped Cornell attract $5-billion in private support since he became president in 2006, noted Shirley Ann Jackson, vice chairwoman of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents.
The Smithsonian has come under pressure in recent years to step up its efforts to seek private money. It raised $210.5-million in fiscal-year 2012, the most recent data available, according to The Chronicle’s Philanthropy 400 ranking of charities that have raised the most money in private support. That places it at No. 95.
Dr. Skorton, who is a professor in the departments of medicine and pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College, previously served as president of the University of Iowa, where he taught for 26 years.
As head of the Smithsonian, he will oversee 19 museums, nine research centers, the National Zoo, and research programs in more than 90 countries.
