William Rockhill Nelson Trust Office Records

The Trustees of the William Rockhill Nelson Trust maintained an office in the Bryant Building, 1102 Grand, Kansas City, Missouri. Sybil Brelsford, secretary to the Trustees, staffed the office. She assisted the first board of University Trustees of the William Rockhill Nelson Trust which was comprised of William Volker (Chairman), J.C. Nichols (Vice-Chairman), and Herbert V. Jones (Secretary). These three men were appointed on March 3rd, 1926 by Statton D. Brooks, President of the University of Missouri, E.H. Lindley, President of the University of Kansas, and W.B. Bizzell, President of the University of Oklahoma. William Volker retired from the board of University Trustees on December 7th, 1929 and J.C. Nichols replaced Volker as Chairman of the board. Arthur M. Hyde was appointed to take Volker's place December 31st, 1929. Nichols and Jones remained active as Trustees until their deaths on August 27th, 1949 and February 15th, 1950 respectively. Arthur Hyde resigned from the board of University Trustees in September of 1935. As none of the Trustees had training in art or museum administration, they sought the assistance of advisors. R.A. Holland, Director of the Kansas City Art Institute, was consulted by the Trustees beginning in 1927 and was given the title, Curator of the Collections of the Nelson Trust, in April of 1930.

The Trustees retained experts to make acquisitions for the new museum. Harold Woodbury Parsons (1883-1967) was hired as art advisor for the Nelson Trust on April 1st, 1930. He served as general advisor to the Trustees until Langdon Warner (1881-1955), field fellow in Chinese art at the Fogg Museum, was appointed Asian art advisor to the Trust in January of 1932. Warner's protege, Laurence Sickman (1906-1988), assisted in the formation of the Museum's Asian collection. Parsons was given responsibility for acquisitions of Western art. Charles O. Cornelius was hired as advisor on American decorative art for one year in February of 1933.

In February of 1932, Paul Gardner (1894-1972) was appointed assistant to the University Trustees. Mr. Gardner oversaw the interior finishing and outfitting of the Museum and became the first director of the Museum on August 13th, 1933.