[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Archives in HBR Case Study for June 2002



Reminds me of what forger Mark Hofmann tried to do to the Mormon Church in the 1980s, with his forgeries of letters purported to have been written by early Mormon elders that shed a lot of doubt on the formation of the Mormon Church.  The Church was only too glad to pay him big $$ to get their hands on these items, presumably to hide them away.  He might have gotten away with it had he not added "bomber" to his resume, killing two people in the effort to cover his tracks.  Good thing he's locked away for life!

Steve Cox
Special Collections Librarian
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Jennifer Carle wrote:
Hello all.  I'm delurking long enough to point out an article that might be of interest:
 
In the June 2002 issue of Harvard Business Review, the HBR Case Study is entitled "The Skeleton in the Corporate Closet."  The case study involves the archivist (& a patron) finding a letter hidden in the company founder's writing desk that might indicate the founder may have stolen the idea for the company's first patent and product that the company was founded of off.  It goes into the ethics of what to do with the information.  Still I thought it was interesting to see the reference to the archives. 
 
As a side note, while not of major importance to the article, I found the relationship between the archivist and the VP he reports to interesting.
 
"A day passed before David [the archivist] appeared at the door of Jill Pierce, the communications VP who was his boss, and asked for a meeting at her convenience.  Masking her surprise (in her seven years as his superior, she couldn't recall his ever initiating contact), she invited him in on the spot." (p. 36)
 
HBR still has the case study from May up on the website, so I can't link, but wanted to share.  Have a great memorial day weekend!
 
Best,
 
Jennifer Carle
Internet Project Specialist,
ASTD
Alexandria, VA