Director to Quit National Museum Post

WASHINGTON — Robert Fri, the director of the National Museum of Natural History, announced Tuesday that he would leave his post later this year because he isn't comfortable with the ongoing reorganization of scientific research at the Smithsonian Institution.

"The upcoming reorganization of the science units of the Smithsonian will substantially affect the National Museum of Natural History," Fri said in a statement released by his office. "This process will require the leadership of a management team committed to pursuing its success over the long haul. I do not feel that I can make that commitment enthusiastically."

Fri has run the Natural History Museum for five years, overseeing significant renovations of the gem and mammal exhibits and the construction of an Imax movie theater. Attendance increased 50% during his tenure to 9 million visitors last year, the largest of any museum in the world.