Smithsonian Institution going through 'fundamental changes' says secretary

Smithsonian Institution Secretary Wayne Clough
Smithsonian Institution Secretary Wayne Clough. Clough was in the Twin Cities to meet with Smithsonian board members and donors .
MPR Photo/Jeff Jones

Wayne Clough inherited an organization suffering from scandals and budget problems. No, we're not talking about a financial insitution or auto maker, Clough is in charge of the nation's largest museum, the Smithsonian Institution.

Clough has been secretary at the Institution since last summer. Museums across the country are facing stiff competition from movie theaters, 24-hour science and history channels, and interactive educational Web sites.

Clough was in the Twin Cities this week to meet with Smithsonian board members and donors -- and to see some of Minnesota's best-known museums. Tom Crann caught up with him at one of them -- the Science Museum of Minnesota -- where he told me the Smithsonian is going through "fundamental changes."