GOODBYE DALI Part 6: James F. Healey (#89A):
Looking back my serious problems when A. Reynolds Morse (Ren) started on my 39th birthday. Ren had talked of taking a sabbatical and Jim Healey suggested I be appointed the acting President of the Foundation, in addition my role as Executive Director. See below, the last page of Jim’s letter dated June 20, 1989, which just happened to be my birthday. Jim’s suggestion wrongly convinced Ren that I was working behind his back to take over the Museum from him.
Jim Newman, the CPA for the Museum, gave me a great present for my 39th birthday. I am sure he wanted to make a grand gesture to show how much he appreciate what I was doing. Jim arranged for us to go Tarpon fishing at Boca Grand on June 20th, my birthday. Coincidently, that was the same date as Jim Healey’s letter. I took the day off, and drove down with Jim. We had lunch at Miller’s Marina, then walked out on the dock, where Capt. Van Hubbard was waiting. Van ran us out to the pass and Jim and I each caught a Tarpon.
My Tarpon was the second of four I caught before moving to Mexico. I caught the first in college while fishing with Billy “Grouper” Caldwell and his father, R.W., also in Boca Grande Pass. If you have never caught a Tarpon, you have no idea how exciting it is to fight and then release a 100+ pound fish. After you hook the Tarpon and it makes a run you have so much line out that it runs straight down into the water, yet you see the big fish jump hundreds of feet away. Then you have to struggle to reel all that line back in.
Jim Newman and Jim Martin, the Museum’s attorney, were most often present when Ren would feel it necessary to berate me for having no knowledge about running a museum. There was nothing they could do or say to stop Ren once he got started. Ren needed to be in control and that was his way of keeping me in my place. It was embarrassing for them and me. Even though I understood where Ren was coming from, if he went on very long, I could actually feel the glands in my neck swell.
True, I had no prior experience, but I worked with Jim Healey, and I worked very hard to run the Dali Museum like a business, which it was. I always left the art up to Ren and Joan Kropf. The art was only for me to protect and enjoy, not to control. I knew this was Ren’s museum, as it should be. I only got involved on the art side when Ren asked me to raise money for a project of his.
At Ren’s request, I visited Montreal to begin the process of acquiring “Galacidalacidesoxiribunucleicacid (also known as Homage to Crick and Watson (Discoverers of DNA)”. The 10’ X 11’4” Master Work had been commissioned by the New England National Bank of Boston in 1965. The Bank wanted to sell the painting for $2,000,000 and had loaned it to the Montreal Museum of Art. The painting was stunning, but raising $2,000,000 was going to talk time. As you see below, it was #1 on my Projects list dated February 15, 1990.
In the spring of 1990, Jim Healey called me to his house for a meeting. He asked me to take notes, and began to tell me what he thought should happen at the Museum for the next year. “Jim, I don’t understand. You can always bring these things up at the appropriate time.” He shook his head slightly, “Scott, I might not be around to help you. I have a brain tumor. It’s not malignant, but I have a very serious operation scheduled next week.”
Jim survived the operation, but he wasn’t able to speak or write. That must have been maddening for him. He was there, but this intelligent, kind, successful businessman, could not communicate. I went to visit several times, but it seemed to just frustrate him. Madelon Healey said that what cheered Jim up was when Jack Lake would come to visit and together they would sing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” For some reason Jim could sing that song with Jack.
Jim Healey had been with the Dali Museum from the beginning and Ren trusted him. They could always work things out. With my strongest supporter no longer on the scene, Ren’s letter of June 11, 1990 (shown below) demoted me back to Director of Development, adding if that was not acceptable, I was out. Whatever title I had didn’t bother me in the least, as long as I stayed with the Museum. I understood exactly what Ren wanted and always did my best to make his Museum exactly what he wanted. I wish Ren had believed in me. Perhaps if we had more time with Jim Healey, Ren would have trusted me also.
Jim Healey was the President of the Board of Trustees of The Salvador Dali Institute. Ren assumed full control of museum operations as President of The Salvador Dali Foundation. Tom James would eventually become President, but he did not yet have the same relationship with Ren as the one that Jim Healey and Ren had developed over the years.
Jim Healey died on August 29, 1992. He was only 72. Thank you for everything Jim. You were a good friend and mentor. You left us much too soon.
