Emeriti Board Members

On July 1, 2021 three members of the Board of Governors transitioned to Emeritus status. All three have long tenure on The Huntington’s Board, and each has been instrumental in The Huntington’s development over the years. 

Longest-serving was Merle Banta, who first joined The Huntington’s Board in 1971. Merle and his wife June were among the founding members of the Society of Fellows. Merle was Board chair from 1998 to 2000, and he was twice chair of the Finance Committee. June and Merle are generous supporters of The Huntington, and over the years they have provided significant funding for many projects including the June and Merle Banta Education Center; the Gardens Initiative, which included construction of the Botanical Center; the Library Acquisition Fund; and most recently a major contribution to the Rose Garden Tea Room renovation. The couple have long been members of the Library Collectors’ Council.

Russel H. Kully became a Huntington Board member in 1992. Russ served on a wide variety of committees during his time on the Board, including the Finance, Library, Advancement, and Research committees. Russ was Chair of the Board from 2010 to 2012, and then chaired the Building and Grounds committee and the Board membership committee until 2013. Russ and his wife Hannah are both avid collectors of works on paper, and they have made significant gifts in kind of American Art from Hannah’s collection. The couple have been stalwart supporters of the Huntington’s Art Museum, endowing the Hannah and Russel Kully Director of the Art Museum, contributing funds for acquisitions, and maintaining membership in the Art Collectors’ Council. 

After retiring from his role as Chairman of Milbank, Tweed and serving several years as a non-Board member of the Education and Volunteers Committee, Frank Logan joined the Board in 2006. During his Board tenure, Frank chaired the Research and Publications Committee from 2008 to 2013. In 2019, Frank and his wife Claude created a six-figure discretionary fund for the Director of Research in honor of The Huntington’s centennial. The couple are also members of the Library Collectors’ Council, and of the Society of Fellows. 

These three emeriti Board members represent immense dedication to The Huntington. We are deeply grateful for their service and their support.