$3 Million to continue Museum's Human Origins Legacy
CLEVELAND—March 20, 2024—The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has received a $3 million gift from Robert “Bob” and Linnet Fritz that will create the Robert J. and Linnet E. Fritz Endowed Chair of Human Origins and support the Museum’s $150 million Transforming the World of Discovery campaign. Their gift will also sponsor Lucy, the hominin who lived ~3.2 million years ago and who is featured in one of the iconic exhibits in the Museum’s new Visitor Hall.
“Bob and Linnet Fritz are dedicated supporters of the Museum, and their gift is an outstanding investment in our community and our region,” says Sonia Winner, the Museum’s President & CEO. “This generous gift will help to ensure the Museum remains a world-class research institution and an invaluable resource to the community for years to come. With this gift, the Museum’s biological anthropology department continues its legacy of discovery and exploration.”
The Robert J. and Linnet E. Fritz Endowed Chair of Human Origins will be held by Dr. Emma Finestone, Associate Curator of Human Origins, effective April 1, 2024. Dr. Emma Finestone uses archaeological fieldwork to investigate adaptive shifts in the human lineage that relate to the early manufacture and use of stone tools. Since joining the Museum in 2022, Dr. Finestone has been awarded a research grant from the Leakey Foundation, led research studies published in the journals PLOS One and the Journal of Human Evolution, and conducted field research in western Kenya. Recently, Dr. Finestone was part of the group of scientists who discovered some of the oldest stone tools ever found at Nyayanga, Kenya.
In 2023, she co-authored a study on this discovery that was published in the journal Science. This study has been highlighted as one of the top discoveries in science and human evolution in 2023, featuring in recent publications including The Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, and Nature Ecology and Evolution. Dr. Finestone received her Ph.D. in biological anthropology from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center in 2019. Before joining the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Dr. Finestone served as Group Leader of Archaeology and Head of the Archaeology Laboratory Unit at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, Germany.
Previously, she served as an instructor at Lehman College and Hunter College and as a research affiliate of the National Museums of Kenya. Prior to her time at CUNY, she worked in the Conservation and Science Department at the Lincoln Park Zoo studying the foraging and tool behaviors of chimpanzees and gorillas. Dr. Finestone earned a B.A. with honors in anthropology and biology from the University of Chicago in 2010. The Fritzes’ donation also supports the Museum’s comprehensive transformation project, which will expand its footprint to more than 375,000 square feet with more than 2 acres of outdoor space.
The transformation includes the development of completely new exhibits and content that will transform the visitor experience, creating an innovative new model for natural history museums worldwide. “Our goal with this transformation is to inspire in our visitors a sense of connection to nature, showing you how your health and the health of our planet depend on each other to thrive,” says Winner. Part of this transformation was completed in October 2023 with the opening of the Museum’s new Visitor Hall. This 14,650-square-foot space features eight of the Museum’s most iconic objects and specimens, including a lifelike reproduction of Lucy, or Australopithecus afarensis, the early hominin whose exhibit will be sponsored by this gift.
Lucy’s fossils were discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 by Dr. Donald Johanson, a paleoanthropologist and the Museum’s former Curator of Physical Anthropology. At the time, Lucy was both the oldest and most complete early human relative ever found. Now, visitors can see Lucy’s exhibit to learn about Cleveland’s connection to this important discovery and the Museum’s contributions to the field of anthropology in the Visitor Hall, a space that is completely free and open to the public. And this year, the Museum will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery with special programs and events.
The Fritzes’ gift was inspired by a longstanding interest in the natural sciences and motivated by a desire to give back to the community. “We've been very fortunate. I would like to spread it around somewhere, and my wife feels the same way,” says Mr. Fritz. "My interest in human origins goes way back. It has always intrigued me, and I have sought to learn more about it over time. Making this gift means that Linnet and I will truly make a difference in the field of anthropology. And to make this investment right here in Cleveland, at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, makes this gift even more meaningful to us." Mr. Fritz further adds, "If you want to make a big commitment, decide what you want to support, and go support it."
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Transformation Project
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s $150 million transformation project is an unprecedented reinvention that will align the Museum’s architecture with its mission of instilling a passion for nature and science in all learners. The Transforming the World of Discovery campaign has raised more than $132 million for this project, which will expand the Museum's building to more than 375,000 square feet and its outdoor visitor areas to more than 2 acres. The transformation project aims to broaden community access and help all stakeholders understand their connection with the natural world and the relevance of science to their daily lives. The latest milestone in this project was the opening in October 2023 of a welcoming new Visitor Hall, a free community space that showcases eight of the Museum’s most iconic objects and specimens. This dramatic, 14,650-square-foot gallery features ceilings that soar to 21 feet and stunning new exhibits placed along the Douglas McCreery and Dr. Laurie McCreery Timeline of the Earth, which marks key events in the history of the Universe. Slated for completion in late 2024, the Museum’s transformation encompasses a complete reimagining of the Museum campus and all its exhibits. Pioneering a new model for natural history museums, the redesigned exhibits will highlight the Museum’s world-class assets while reflecting its role as a trusted community resource. The Museum appreciates the generous support from community members, corporations, foundations, and government grants that has helped to make this transformation a reality.
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the world around us and inspires visitors to engage with the natural forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which encompass more than 5 million artifacts and specimens, to deepen the public’s understanding of the dynamic connections between humans and nature. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards more than 12,000 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, the Museum is a vital resource that serves Cleveland and the nation. For more information, visit CMNH.org.
Media Contact
Samantha Guenther
External Communications Manager
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
216.403.4557
sguenther@cmnh.org
