July 11, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
Age at death: 69
Career in philanthropy: At the time of his death, Mr. Wood was chief executive officer of the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles. He had come out of retirement to take that job in February 2007 after having led the Art Institute of Chicago for 24 years.
How he made his mark: Mark S. Siegel, chairman of the Getty Trust’s Board of Trustees, said that he was widely admired for his ability to collaborate with others, a quality that allowed the Getty Trust to work with other art institutions throughout Southern California to organize the exhibition “Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980,” which is set to open in fall 2011. Mr. Siegel says, “This kind of way seeing the world collegially and working with others in a beautiful way is who he was and what he did.”
Key accomplishments: When Mr. Wood arrived at the Getty Trust, the organization was plagued by scandals over its illegal acquisitions of antiquities and the financial improprieties surrounding its former chief executive, Barry Munitz. Mr. Wood instantly brought order and respect to the institution, Mr. Siegel says,
How he will be remembered: By linking the Getty’s four arms: its museum, its grant-making foundation, its conservation institute, and its research institute, Mr. Wood paved the way for the organization to work as a cohesive unit, says Mr. Siegel.
