News | May 19, 2011

Lawrence R. Ricciardi Named President of The Morgan Library's Board of Trustees

New York, NY, May 19, 2011—The Morgan Library & Museum—which houses one of the world's foremost collections of art, literature, and music—announced that Lawrence R. Ricciardi has been named President of its Board of Trustees.
 
A retired senior executive at IBM Corporation, Mr. Ricciardi has been a trustee of the Morgan since 2003. He succeeds S. Parker Gilbert as President, a post Mr. Gilbert held for twenty-three years. Mr. Ricciardi assumed his duties in April and will oversee his first board meeting May 19.????

"I am pleased to welcome Larry Ricciardi as the new President of The Morgan Library & Museum," Mr. Gilbert said. "Larry has a broad knowledge of the institution and a deep commitment to fulfilling its mission. I am confident that he will lead the Morgan with dedication and distinction."

????In the last five years, the Morgan has completed two acclaimed building projects: its 2006 expansion by architect Renzo Piano and the 2010 interior restoration of its original 1906 library. The institution has recently mounted a number of highly successful exhibitions, including shows on eighteenth-century French drawings, the Hours of Catherine of Cleves, writers Jane Austen and Mark Twain, as well as contemporary artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Saul Steinberg, and Irving Penn. ????

During this time, Mr. Ricciardi has served on the Morgan's executive, development, and finance committees. He is also a member of the Director's Roundtable, a group of the Morgan's leading patrons.????

"It is a special privilege to be named President of The Morgan Library & Museum," Mr. Ricciardi said. "The Morgan holds an unrivaled collection of books, drawings, music manuscripts, and literary and historical artifacts, and its buildings are notable architectural landmarks. It is truly a unique institution and one of New York's cultural crown jewels. I look forward to serving its board and superb curatorial and administrative staff."????

"The Morgan is honored to have Larry as its new President" said William M. Griswold, the Morgan's Director. "Since he joined the board, he has been a dedicated and involved trustee, engaged in many Morgan projects and initiatives. We look forward to his guidance and leadership in the years ahead. We also extend our deep and heartfelt thanks to Parker Gilbert for his more than two decades of unmatched service to the institution."??

??In addition to his duties with the Morgan, Mr. Ricciardi is a trustee of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Humanities Center. He is a member of New York's Grolier Club, and formerly served as a member of the Committee on Research Libraries of the New York Public Library and as a trustee of the Greenwich Library in Connecticut.????

Prior to his work with IBM, Mr. Ricciardi was president of RJR Nabisco Holdings Corporation. He also served for many years as vice-president and general counsel at American Express and was previously counsel for two U.S. government agencies, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the State Department's Agency for International Development.????

A 1962 Fordham graduate with a J.D. from Columbia Law School, Mr. Ricciardi also participated in Stanford University's Executive Program at the Graduate School of Business and was a Fulbright Teaching Fellow in Law at La Sapienza University in Rome.????

He is a director of Citigroup and Citibank N.A. He is also senior advisor to IBM Corporation, Lazard Frères & Co., and the law firm of Jones Day. He was formerly the lead independent director of The Reader's Digest Association, and a director of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Royal Dutch Petroleum, and RJR Nabisco Corporation.????

The Morgan Library & Museum??
The Morgan Library & Museum began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan, one of the preeminent collectors and cultural benefactors in the United States. Today, more than a century after its founding in 1906, the Morgan serves as a museum, independent research library, musical venue, architectural landmark, and historic site. In October 2010, the Morgan completed the first-ever restoration of its original McKim building, Pierpont Morgan's private library, and the core of the institution. In tandem with the 2006 expansion project by architect Renzo Piano, the Morgan now provides visitors unprecedented access to its world-renowned collections of drawings, literary and historical manuscripts, musical scores, medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, printed books, and ancient Near Eastern seals and tablets. ????

General Information??
The Morgan Library & Museum??
225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016-3405??
212.685.0008??
www.themorgan.org????
Hours??
Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; extended Friday hours, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The Morgan closes at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.????Admission??$15 for adults; $10 for students, seniors (65 and over), and children (under 16); free to Members and children, 12 and under accompanied by an adult. Admission is free on Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is not required to visit the Morgan Shop.

PRESS CONTACTS
The Morgan Library & Museum
Patrick Milliman
212.590.0310
pmilliman@themorgan.org
Sandra Ho
212.590.0311
sho@themorgan.org