Archival Material

Date Original: 2013

Description: Mike Spock, on the edge of organizational meltdown, finds help in rethinking and restructuring his job so he can continue to lead this unconventional museum.

Creator(s): Mike Spock, author

Keywords:

Date Original: February 1971

Description: Survey questions given to museum employees as an individual exercise, asking them to project several years into the future to what they think the Children's Museum would be like. Responses (both written and typed) are also included in succession. 120 pages.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: self-evaluation, surveys, projections, individual exercise

Date Original: 2007

Description: Presentation given by David Burnham for the Corydon Council on the topics of effective leadership and creating an organizational culture.

Creator(s): David Brunham, Burnham Rosen Group- creators

Keywords: leadership, organizational culture, management

Date Original: March 4, 2009

Description: Excerpts from the interview transcript of Ben Schore, a member of the board of trustees, that contain stories about: his experience joining the American Association of Museums as a junior trustee, learning from colleagues, learning from failures, the importance of transparency and communication, Mike's leadership tactics in dealing with failure or employees, things he learned at the Boston Children's Museum that applied to later endeavors, the team spirit and independent thinkers of the museum while he was there, and the similar values of those working at the museum.

Creator(s): Ben Schore, interviewee; Mike Spock, editor

Date Original: February 24, 2009

Description: Selections from full transcript of Bill Mayhew interview in which he discusses the implementation of work-study students at the museum, converting the museum's computer system into one that could tackle administrative problems, and getting other organizations onto the system.

Creator(s): Bill Mayhew, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer/editor

Keywords: transcript, work-study, innovation, technology, systems, collaboration, cultural organizations

Date Original: January 24, 2012

Description: Working script from Bill Mayhew Interview in which he discusses: his education at MIT and his introduction to the Children's Museum, his early exposure to computers, the design, implementation and benefits of BCM's computerized accounting system, including computers in exhibits at the museum, collaboration with the Metropolitan Cultural Alliance and the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, innovation and enthusiasm in developing successful systems for organizations, and his career path after the museum.

Creator(s): Bill Mayhew, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer/editor

Keywords: computers, innovation, systems, accounting, technology, reports, netowrks

Date Original: 1970

Description: Scanned copy of Museum News, featuring the article, "Museums in Collaboration," written by Mike Spock; also contains Board of Trustees Meeting materials from several meetings during the year 1970 including agenda, memos, fiscal reports, director's report, meeting notes, correspondence related to Mike Spock's proposed sabbatical,

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum Board of Trustees; American Association of Museums- article publisher; Mike Spock, article author

Keywords: collaboration, board of trustees, meetings, reports, correspondence

Date Original: April 13, 1970

Description: Memo, agenda, and supplementary materials related to the Board of Trustees meeting.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Board of Trustees, meetings, budget, reports, meeting minutes

Date Original: May 26, 1970

Description: Meeting minutes.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Meeting Board of Trustees

Keywords: meeting minutes, administration, board of trustees

Date Original: 2007

Description: Printout of slides from "Boston Stories: Contemporary Lessons from the Distant Past" presentation

Creator(s): David Burnham, Suzanne LeBlanc, Mike Spock,

Keywords: Chapin Hall Center for Children, Boston Stories Project

Date Original: May 11, 2007

Description: Power Point Presentation that presents the Boston Stories Project and includes a timeline of the museum, some of its more innovative programs, and administrative statistics.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: leadership, history, museum administration, boston stories project

Date Original: 1970

Description: Handwritten budget report and notes.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: budget, funding

Date Original: 1971

Description: Includes 1970 budget figures and hand written notes.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: budget, funding, reports, notes

Date Original: October 20, 2005

Description: Video excerpt from a group interview with museum managers, Elaine Gurian, Jim Zein, Mike Spock, and Pat Steuert, in which they discuss the practice of maintaining reserve funds so that an organization has money to spend on ideas or unexpected mishaps without affecting the operating budget. Duration: 4:56.

Creator(s): Elaine Gurian, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewee; Pat Steuert, interviewee; Carol Yourman, videographer; Jim Zein, interviewee

Keywords: funding, budgeting, managers, interview, accounting, interview, video

Description: Letter announcing a ceremony to honor Jim Craven, who secured a $50,000 annual appropriation for the museum.

Creator(s): OConnell, Phyllis- author

Keywords: correspondence, funding, ceremony

Date Original: Fall 2007

Description: Article form the Stanford Social Innovation Review, which describes and compared 12 outstanding nonprofits.

Creator(s): Heather McLeod Grant and Lesile R. Crutchfield- authors; Stanford Social Innovation Review- publisher

Keywords: social innovation, nonprofit organizations, innovation

Copyright Notice: Boston Stories Project does not hold the copyright to this article. Please contact authors or publisher for reproduction information.

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Black and white headshot of Dave Twitchell

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Dave Twitchell, museum staff, photograph

Date Original: January 27, 2012

Description: Transcript of interview with David Burnham in which he discusses his childhood at the museum, his professional involvement at the museum, organization frustrations and the accounting system that emerged as a solution, his reactions to the reorganization period at the museum and Mike's leadership style, Phyllis O Connell's professional path at the museum, museum regulars, and more. Transcript has been edited to reflect selections to be used on Boston Stories Project website.

Creator(s): David Brinham, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer/editor

Keywords: transcript, staff stories, relationships, leadership, professional growth, organizational culture

Date Original: April 23, 2012

Description: Excerpts from interview with David Burnham, a Children's Museum trustee, in which he discusses the participatory nature of the Children's Museum, planning for the computerized accounting system, the seminal impact of the system on museum functionality.

Creator(s): David Burnham, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer/editor

Keywords: organizational culture, computer system, accounting, innovation

Date Original: September 14, 1970

Description: From Mike Spock to Project Committee and other interested parties, addressing the Director's Project Report and proposing a staff retreat.

Creator(s): Mike Spock

Keywords: Director's Project, collaboration, problem-solving, reorganization, self-evaluation

Date Original: October 19, 1970

Description: Report written by Mike Spock which addresses problems, processes, goals, and conclusions of the Director's Project.

Creator(s): Mike Spock, author

Keywords: Director's Project, organizational management, reports, reorganization, self-evaluation

Date Original: May 26, 1970

Description: 1-page overview and budget describing the Director's Project to the Board of Trustees

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Director's Project, reports, Board of Trustees, proposals, budget

Date Original: 1970

Description: Mailing list, memo, caterer's invoice, and save the date cards for Director's Project Committee Meeting.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Director's Project Committee, meetings, memos, mailing lists

Date Original: 1970

Description: Memos, meeting notes and agendas, project descriptions and proposals, and reports related to Director's Projects.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Director's Project, meetings, collaboration, museum administrations, programs, management, proposals

Date Original: August 2, 1970

Description: Four project prospectuses: Boston Muse, The Children's Place, Museum of Man and City as a Museum

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: projects, outreach, programs, innovation, prospectus

Date Original: June 20, 2007

Description: Excerpts from transcript of an interview with Eleanor Chin in which she discusses: how she came to the museum, the importance of relationships with coworkers, permission to take risks, workplace culture or appreciation and recognition, supervising employees, fluidity between personal and professional, Boston Children's Museums as a learning organization grounded in values, neighborhood kids, transparency in communication, and team structure.

Creator(s): Eleanor Chin, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer/editor

Keywords: organizational culture, risk-taking, relationships with coworkers, organizational , values, learning organizations, teamwork

Date Original: 1987

Description: Lynda Barry comic about a home-made museum.

Creator(s): Lynda Barry

Keywords: museums, philosophy, organizational culture

Copyright Notice: Boston Stories Project does not hold the copyright to this item. Please contact authors or publisher for reproduction information.

Date Original: November 5, 2006

Description: Video excerpt from interview with Tom Goldsmith in which he discusses developing the museum's accounting system, project goals set during the process, and the collaborative nature of the project as his team tailored data reports to the museum administration. Duration: 3:25.

Creator(s): Tom Goldsmith, interviewee; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: system, accounting, data, reports, museum administration, interview, video

Date Original: 1970

Description: Grant proposal written by the Boston Children's Museum to the Frederick J. Kennedy Foundation requesting funds to implement collaborative programs with neighborhood organizations.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: grants, funding, collaboration, community, nonprofits, cultural organizations, Boston

Date Original: December 6, 1970

Description: Agenda for a seminar that asks attendees to speculate about the future of the Boston Children's Museum

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Director's Project, self-evaluation, sustainability, seminar

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Photo booth images of Mike Spock simulating an elevator ride.

Creator(s): Mike Spock

Keywords: staff portraits

Date Original: 2001

Description: Jacket, title page, and table of contents from a book about organizational sustainability and improvement.

Creator(s): Jim Collins, author; Harper Business, publisher

Keywords: sustainability, organizational management, administration, leadership, nonprofits

Date Original: April 29, 1970

Description: Memo from Hamilton Coolidge, chairman of the Executive Committee, announcing a budget meeting.

Creator(s): Hamilton Coolidge, author

Keywords: budget, executive committee, memo

Date Original: 1999

Description: Cover, index, and About the Author section from a book discussing large-scale, sustainable models for making an impact.

Creator(s): Christine W Letts, Willian P. Ryan, and Allen Grossman- authors; John Wiley & Sons, Inc- publisher

Keywords: impact, innovation, sustainability, nonprofit leadership, organizational management

Date Original: May 7, 1970

Description: Correspondence from the honorary trustees of the Boston Children's Museum to President Robert Lloyd, addressing their belief that the museum ought to stabilize its financial position.

Creator(s): Helen A Claflin, Caroline S Rogers, Graham T. Winslow - authors

Keywords: honorary trustees, funding, accounting, financial stability

Date Original: 1971

Description: Memos, organizational flow charts, notes, and descriptions of an interim plan for the museum's reorganization.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: interim reorganization, museum administration, staff, organizational management, communication

Date Original: 1971

Description: Internal staff documents including: memos, meeting notes and agendas, discussion group materials, organizational flow charts, program descriptions, fiscal goals

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: administration, meetings, staff, reports

Date Original: October 20, 2005

Description: Selections from interview transcript with Jeptha Wade in which she discusses Mike's leadership style and some of her experiences at the Boston Children's Museum.

Creator(s): Mike Spock, interviewer; Jeptha Wade, interviewee

Keywords: leadership, collaboration, MATCh boxes

Date Original: October 20, 2005

Description: Transcript of interview with Jeptha Wade in which she discusses Mike's leadership style, the Boston Children's Museum Board, MATCh Boxes, licensing American Science and Engineering, exhibits that influenced her as a child, and the diversity of people she worked with. Transcript has been edited to note selections to be used for the Boston Stories Project website.

Creator(s): Mike Spock, interviewer/editor; Jeptha Wade, interviewee

Keywords: MATCh boxes, collaboration, professional growth, cultural organizations

Date Original: January 19, 2012

Description: Excerpts from interview with Jeptha Wade in which he discusses the board's relationship with Mike and the diversity of the board, looking for a new museum location and finding the wharf, the organizational culture of the museum, developing the MATCh Boxes, the value of museums to society, and ways he obtained funding for the museum over the years.

Creator(s): Mike Spock, interviewer/editor; Jeptha Wade, interviewee

Keywords: board of trustees. Museum wharf, organizational culture, MATCh Boxes, museums role in society, funding

Date Original: 1970

Description: Cover letter submitted with a grant proposal to the Frederick J. Kennedy Memorial Foundation.

Creator(s): Mike Spock, author

Keywords: grants, funding, correspondence

Date Original: June 5, 2006 and December 20, 2006

Description: List and draft versions of sidebar topics for Boston Stories Project Leadership chapter side bar items.

Creator(s): Boston Stories Project

Keywords: Boston Stories Project, draft, working files, leadership

Date Original: Sept 28/29,2008

Description: Video excerpt from MATCHbox project director Fred Kresse in which he discusses the free and open management style of museum director Mike Spock, as well as the uncertainty that arose from its novelty and uniqueness. Duration: 3:17.

Creator(s): Fred Kress, interviewee; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: maganement, Mike Spock, Fred Kress, creativity, interview, video

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Black and white head shot of Maury Sagoff

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Maury Sagoff, museum staff, photograph

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Handwritten letter to Mike Spock from an unidentified person, expressing concerns and asking questions about taking a job at the Boston Children's Museum

Creator(s): unknown

Keywords: correspondence, staff, autonomy, communication, human resources

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: Photograph of Mike Spock and Drew Hyde at The Gates in Central Park.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Mike Spock, Drew Hyde, New York

Date Original: 2007

Description: Charts and graphs showing Mike Spock's leadership aptitudes and power strategies.

Creator(s): Burnham and Rosen Group- report preparers

Keywords: leadership, power, management, report

Date Original: November 2005

Description: Video excerpt from an interview with Elaine Gurian in which she discusses Mike Spock's unique leadership style.

Creator(s): Elaine Gurian, interviewee; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: leadership, women, museum administration, Elaine Gurian, video

Date Original: October 1971

Description: R. Crumb comic strip, originally published by the San Francisco Comicbook Company.

Creator(s): R. Crumb

Keywords: comic, Mr. Natural, motivation

Date Original: November 5, 2006

Description: Complete transcript from interview with Pat Steuert, with selections highlighted to be used in Boston Stories Project media section.

Creator(s): Mike Spock, interviewer/script editor; Pat Steuert, interviewee.

Keywords: transcript, interview, Pat Steuert

Date Original: August 4, 2008

Description: From the Harvard Business Review, this article summarizes David McClelland and David H. Burnham's book Power is the Great Motivator.

Creator(s): Harvard Business Review

Keywords: leadership, management, organizational administration

Date Original: October 20, 2005

Description: Video excerpt from a group interview with museum managers, Elaine Gurian, Jim Zein, Mike Spock, and Pat Steuert, in which they discuss the intellectually sophisticated lines of thinking that went into writing Boston Children's Museum budget proposals. Duration: 4:43.

Creator(s): Elaine Gurian, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewee; Pat Steuert, interviewee; Carol Yourman, videographer; Jim Zein, interviewee

Keywords: budgeting, proposals, funding, managers, interview, accounting, video

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Photograph of Sing Hanson assembling materials for an exhibit.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: staff portraits

Date Original: May 1, 1971

Description: Includes agendas and materials used during 1971 staff retreat.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: staff retreat, reorganization, collaboration, human resources

Date Original: 1971

Description: Memos, handwritten notes on staff retreat, and prepatory materials for staff retreat.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: staff retreat, collaboration, meeting notes, communication, reorganization, human resources

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Photograph of Sue Jackson and her husband from their wedding.

Creator(s): Sue Jackson

Keywords: staff portraits

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Hand-written notes under the heading "Survival."

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: notes, sustainability

Date Original: 2006

Description: Jackey, title page, and table of contents of a book that discusses the importance of an organizations ability to learn from mistakes in order to maintain its sustainability.

Creator(s): Peter M Senge, author; Currency Doubleday, publisher

Keywords: impact, sustainability, nonprofit leadership, innovation, organizational management

Date Original: August 3, 1970

Description: Outline of different types of resources that could be used for the museum including Programmatic, Material, Human, Affiliations & Collaborations, and Funding Agencies.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: resources, funding, Director's Project, collaboration, innovation

Date Original: November 5, 2006

Description: Video excerpt from an interview with Tom Goldsmith in which he talks about the early use of a computer system and data for business management processes at the museum, highlighting its use for budgeting. Duration: 5:20.

Creator(s): Tom Goldsmith, interviewee; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: budgeting, data, museum management, systems, computers, automation, accounting

Date Original: April 23, 2012

Description: Excerpts from transcript of interview with Tom Goldsmith in which he discusses early ideas and the implementation of the accounting computer system, organizational needs for the system, and how data was used.

Creator(s): Tom Goldsmith, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer/editor

Keywords: computer system, accounting, data, innovation

Date Original: November 5, 2006

Description: Typed, editedtranscript of interview with Tom Goldsmith in which he discusses the development, implementation, and benefits of a computer system and the data it produced to manage museum budgets, the transparency the system brought to the museum, the team that worked on the project, how he translated the skills he learned at the museum to a career with IBM in Sweden. Includes excerpts at the beginning, full transcript starts on page 13.

Creator(s): Tom Goldsmith, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer.

Keywords: interview, oral history, Tom Goldsmith, accounting, technology, systems, computers, management

Date Original: April 27, 2008

Description: Presentation given to the AAM on Boston Children's Museum's turn-around in the 1970s and the museum as a model of leadership.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Chapin Hall Center for Children, museum leadership, American Association of Museums, innovation, nonprofit organizations