September 27, 2023
Staff photo/PhillyVoice
Mira Irons, president and CEO of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, which owns the Mütter Museum, at 19 S. 22nd St., resigned Wednesday to take a new job. The museum is in the middle of an ethical review of its collections that Irons and executive director Kate Quinn spearheaded.
Dr. Mira Irons, the CEO and president of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, has resigned to take another job, the medical society announced Wednesday. The change in leadership comes as the Mütter Museum, which is owned by the college, is reconsidering the ethical questions of displaying human remains, which has resulted in some criticism.
A year ago Irons hired Kate Quinn, a former leader at the Penn Museum and Bucks County's Michener Art Museum, to be executive director of the Mütter. Irons and Quinn have spearheaded the initiative to reevaluate the displays at the museum and online, a collection comprised of about about 6,500 biological specimens.
Many of these remains were obtained by the museum before people could legally consent to donating their bodies to science. Irons and Quinn have made the point that medical institutions, like the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, historically have collected research materials from marginalized groups whose remains have not been handled with dignity and respect.
In January, the museum took down its online galleries, videos and exhibits about the Mütter's human remains and other medical objects. Then in August, the museum launched a new online collections database that doesn't display any photos of human remains.
Earlier this month, the Mütter announced the beginning of a two-year project called "Postmortem: Mütter Museum" that gives the public a chance to weigh in on the changes taking place or planned at the Mütter. This will be done with a series of town halls and online discussions. The first session will be at the museum on Oct. 17.
In a statement about her resignation, Irons said she is "heartened by the (board of trustees') commitment to continue the work of preparing both the College and the Museum to remain relevant for the next 100 years, and I believe that with the processes now in place ... our organization is positioned for a bright future."
The push by Irons and Quinn to move away from the Mütter's legacy has upset some supporters, former staff, donors and museum members. An online petition with more than 34,000 signatures, by a group called Protect the Mütter, wanted the board of trustees of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia to fire Quinn and Irons for their attempt to "remove and sanitize" the museum's collection.
Protect the Mütter organizers fear Quinn intends to turn the museum into a contemporary health and wellness institute catered to medical professionals. They're concerned that popular programs will be scrapped and the appeal of the museum will be damaged if drastic changes are made.
An organizer for Protect the Mütter said Wednesday morning that the group knew for several weeks that Irons would be resigning. Quinn did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning about Irons' departure.
Irons, a geneticist and pediatrics specialist, was appointed in 2021. Her new job is at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she will be associate chief of genetics and genomics. She also had worked as a physician at Boston Children's Hospital earlier in her career.
Under Irons' leadership, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia also completed a $3.2 million renovation of its storage facilities and acquired another building at 2129 Chestnut St.
"Dr. Irons arrived at a time of great change for our organization, as we emerged from the pandemic and sought to re-engage with our Fellowship and the larger Philadelphia community," said Julia A. Haller, chair of the board of trustees. "At the same time, Dr. Irons embraced the challenge to collaboratively re-envision the College's future, including the complex and sensitive ethical issues confronting the Mütter Museum and museums all over the world concerning best practices and the respectful display of human remains."
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia is the oldest private medical society in the country. Established in 1787, its mission is to advance the science of medicine. It was modeled after the Royal College of Physicians in London and became an early advocate for public health measures in the United States.
The college's home at 19 S. 22nd St. was built in 1909 and is the site of the Mütter Museum and the Historical Medical Library. The college also hosts seminars and conferences for medical professionals.
A trio of medical fellows will lead the College in the interim while there is a search for Irons' permanent successor.
NOTE: Portions of this article were edited after it was originally published.
