Astute
observers may have wondered why Samuel Wheeler, Illinois state historian, was
the one who showed off Lincoln relics to a reporter in a recent CBS News spot
that ran coast-to-coast, putting the fundraising travails of the presidential
museum’s private foundation in the national spotlight.
Isn’t
that a job reserved for James Cornelius, curator of the Lincoln collection at
the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum? In fact, yes – Cornelius
typically has been the one who trots out The Hat and other artifacts to
reporters, prospective donors and others who have sufficient juice to get exclusive
look-sees at the institution’s most prized possessions.
As
much as anyone, Cornelius has been the public face of the institution, giving
presentations to school children, appearing in interviews with television reporters
and otherwise explaining history to the masses, all with a professorial panache
that makes you think, “Gee, this guy really knows his stuff.” But Cornelius
wasn’t available for the CBS segment, having been placed on administrative
leave in March.
It’s
not clear why Cornelius remains at home while collecting paychecks from
taxpayers – the state doesn’t think that’s the public’s business. And this isn’t
Cornelius’ first time in the penalty box.
A
records request to the ALPLM for recent disciplinary records yielded nary a
blacked-out document about the current paid leave, but it did result in
disclosure of blacked-out documents confirming that Cornelius last year was
suspended for 15 days for insubordination. No details were provided.
Back
in 2014, before Gov. Bruce Rauner took office on a platform that included a
promise that his would be the most transparent administration in the nation,
the institution released records showing that Cornelius was suspended in 2012 after
a series of incidents that included “unprofessional behavior” toward relatives
of an ALPLM “client,” then “numerous disrespectful, sarcastic and unprofessional
comments” directed at then-ALPM director Eileen Mackevich (who resigned under
pressure in 2015) during a meeting, according to disciplinary records. The last
straw, according to disciplinary records, came when Cornelius became “hostile”
and “verbally abusive” toward the museum’s staff while an exhibit was being
installed.
“He
cursed, condemned ALPLM management and called the workplace a ‘circus,’”
then-director Amy Martin of the now-defunct Illinois Historic Preservation
wrote in a 2012 letter notifying Cornelius that he was being suspended for two
weeks. “This behavior was also exhibited in the presence of a member of the
press.”
Rauner
fired Martin shortly after Mackevich resigned. Cornelius, on the other hand,
got a 32-percent raise the year after he was suspended. Museum maintenance
workers, it turned out, were earning more than Illinois’ premier expert on
Abraham Lincoln, who has a doctorate and was getting paid just $47,000 a year.
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com
This article appears in Jun 21-27, 2018.
