William Rockhill Nelson Trust

The will of William Rockhill Nelson provided for the establishment of the William Rockhill Nelson Trust, which was to use the income from his estate for the purchase of fine art. The first board of trustees was comprised of William Volker (Chairman), J.C. Nichols (Vice-Chairman), and Herbert V. Jones (Secretary). They were appointed in March 1926 by Stratton 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. The trustees maintained an office in the Bryant Building, 1102 Grand, Kansas City, Missouri which was staffed by a secretary, Sybil Brelsford. William Volker retired from the board in December 1929 and J.C. Nichols replaced Volker as chairman. Arthur M. Hyde was appointed to take Volker's place in December 1929. He resigned from the board in September 1935. Nichols and Jones remained active as trustees until their deaths in August 1949 and February 1950 respectively. As none of the Trustees had training in art or museum administration, they sought the assistance of R.A. Holland, director of the Kansas City Art Institute, beginning in 1927. The Trustees also retained experts to make acquisitions for the new museum. Harold Woodbury Parsons was hired as art advisor in April 1930. He served as general advisor to the trustees until Langdon Warner was appointed Oriental advisor in January 1932. Parsons was then responsible only for acquisitions of Western art. Charles O. Cornelius was hired as advisor on American decorative art for one year starting in February 1933. Paul Gardner was appointed assistant to the trustees in February 1932, and became the first director of the new Museum in August 1933.