Museum Leadership: 1978–1996
Dr. Reeder took over as director in 1978. His research and publications focused particularly on evolutionary studies of living organisms.
Dr. Reeder chose to emphasize the academic side of the museum, most notably adding curators to herpetology (study of reptiles and amphibians) and ichthyology (the study of fishes) to match the growing collections in those areas. Preservation of historical objects and specimens in the collections was also emphasized and Dr. Reeder created a materials conservation laboratory.