Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History was organized in 1923 as an expansion of the original Santa Barbara Museum of Comparative Oology. Its first director was botanist Ralph Hoffmann, board member who was hired in 1923. He held the position until his accidental death on San Miguel Island in July 1932. The museum directors:

• Ralph Hoffmann (1923-1932)
• Harold Sidebotham (August-December 1932)
• Paul Marshall Rea (1933-1936)
• Arthur Sterry Coggeshall (1937-August 1958)
• V. L. VanderHoof (1959-1963)
• Frederick H. Pough (1965-July 1966)
• Lawrence J. Pinter (1969-1971)
• Dennis M. Power (1972-1994)
• Robert Breunig 1994-October 1997)
• Brian Rapp and David H. Anderson, co-executive directors
• Karl Leopold Hutterer (2001-2012)
• Luke Swetland (2013- )

In the early years during transition times (1958, 1963-1964, 1966-1969), long-time secretary Nora K. Morres served as acting director.