Software entrepreneur donates $2 million to Museum of Rockies

By NICK GEVOCK, Chronicle Staff Writer

Locked in the vaults at the Museum of the Rockies are thousands of dinosaur bones that the public never gets to see.

In fact, only a fraction of the museum's specimens are on display.

But now that will change, thanks to a $2 million donation -- the largest donation in the museum's history -- announced Thursday that will help triple the museum's dinosaur exhibits' space.

"We're going to take those fossils out of the basement and put them out for all the world to see," said Shelley McKamey, interim museum director.

Software entrepreneur Thomas Siebel, founder of Siebel Systems, and his wife Stacey are giving the money to the museum to build the "Siebel Dinosaur Complex."

The exhibit will be partially designed by world renowned MOR paleontologist Jack Horner and based on his recently published children's book "Dinosaurs Under the Big Sky."

The first time Tom Siebel walked through the museum's doors with his two young children, he said he was fascinated with the natural history exhibits. He was impressed by how user-friendly the museum is, especially for kids.

"These people did a wonderful job of explaining some really obscure concepts in a way that everyday people can understand," he said.

He said the ability to condense 150 million years of earth history into a roomful of exhibits on dinosaurs, prehistoric peoples and earth science was astounding, and he wanted to contribute to the museum's continuing research.

Not long thereafter, he met some people affiliated with the museum, began discussing a donation and the rest is history.

"They were excited about the way the museum uses dinosaurs as a vehicle for science education for children," Museum Board President Carl Lehrkind said of the Siebels.

The Siebel complex will include up to 12,000 square feet of museum space, although no expansion of the museum building will be needed, McKamey said.

But beyond the size, details are sketchy -- museum staff, board members and the Siebels are just waiting to see what Horner comes up with.

"We're dying to find out," McKamey said. "Jack (Horner) has it in his mind, and I know it's clear there, but he's working to put it down on paper."

It's fair to say, however, that it will be anything but ordinary, McKamey said. "Jack's always done things his own way."

Horner was in eastern Montana excavating dinosaurs and couldn't make the press conference.

The Siebels' donation will likely cover more than half the total cost of the exhibit. McKamey said the board is still looking into ways to pay for the rest of the project.

Siebel's company is one of the world's leading providers of customer-relationship-management software. He owns two ranches in Montana.

The board is shooting to open the exhibit sometime in 2005.

Siebel said he is anxious to see the displays, as well as go out to one of Horner's dinosaur digs.

"I hope to get to one of his sites next year, and see it first hand," Siebel said.

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