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Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
Founded in 1936 by Raymond M. Alf, a teacher at The Webb Schools, the museum lives on the high school’s Claremont, California campus and remains an integral...
Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
Founded in 1936 by Raymond M. Alf, a teacher at The Webb Schools, the museum lives on the high school’s Claremont, California campus and remains an integral arm of the institution. The endowment supports scientific research, fossil collection maintenance, and the Peccary Society, the museum’s exploration and research wing that draws alumni, students, and supporters into active field work. Asset-class exposure is concentrated in a traditional nonprofit allocation built around the Alf Museum Endowment Fund, which funds specimen acquisition, curation staffing, and research travel. The museum's commercial assets include its fossil collection, the Hall of Footprints, and the museum building itself at 1175 W. Baseline Road. The Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation and Gretchen Augustyn stand as major named donors, with Augustyn’s gift endowing the curator position. Geographic focus spans the western United States, with collecting trips frequently reaching Utah and Montana formations. Total endowment assets are undisclosed; Altss estimates roughly $7 million held within the museum’s fund structures. Andrew Farke, PhD, runs day-to-day operations as Director and President. The museum holds a national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, earned in 1998, and participates in the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology——networks that shape publication standards and joint fieldwork. The structural differentiator is the museum’s student-research model. Unlike university museums where undergraduates compete for limited lab slots, Webb students publish alongside museum staff as part of their curriculum. The Peccary Society extends this model into a lifelong alumni research community, creating a hybrid educational-endowment purpose that few endowed foundations match.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1936
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Claremont
Corporate office
Claremont, California, United States
Principals
Andrew Farke
Museum Director and President
Gretchen Augustyn
Trustee and Curator Endowment Donor
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment and operational decisions at the museum?
Andrew Farke, PhD, serves as Museum Director and President, overseeing both the scientific mission and the financial stewardship of the endowment. Named donors such as Gretchen Augustyn and the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation provide substantial philanthropic support, with Augustyn specifically endowing the curator role. The museum operates as part of The Webb Schools, so major capital and land decisions ultimately sit with the school's governing board.
What is the Peccary Society and how does it relate to the endowment?
The Peccary Society is the museum’s exploration and research arm, comprising students, alumni, and supporters who participate in fossil-collecting fieldwork. Its members often contribute directly to the museum’s research output and help fund expeditions, supplementing the endowment’s capacity to acquire and study specimens. Named for the Billy Webb peccary skull in the collection, the society creates a continuous pipeline of talent and donations.
Is the museum financially independent from The Webb Schools?
The museum is an integral part of The Webb Schools and sits on its campus land, so it is not a fully independent legal entity with a standalone balance sheet. It maintains a dedicated endowment fund that supports its programs, specimen care, and research, and receives directed philanthropy from donors like Augustyn. However, ultimate fiduciary and strategic oversight rests with The Webb Schools' governance.
How does the museum source its fossil collection and research funding?
Funding comes through a mix of endowment draws, grants, and private donations. Collecting trips are often financed by Peccary Society members and occasional foundation support, while the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation has made multi-year program gifts. The endowment fund, estimated at roughly $7 million by Altss, provides baseline support for curator salaries and permanent collection maintenance.
Does the museum make direct investments or only hold traditional endowment assets?
The Alf Museum Endowment Fund operates like a conventional nonprofit portfolio, likely holding a mix of equities and fixed income managed by The Webb Schools' finance committee or an outsourced chief investment officer. No evidence has surfaced of direct investment activity, alternative asset commitments, or venture-style deployment. The museum uses its capital exclusively for mission-related expenses.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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