Portrait Cost Indian Museum $48,500

The debate among museum advisory board members began when Frederick E. Hoxie, a University of Illinois professor, sent an e-mail to the board saying: "The 'news' in the story is that West's travel was 'lavish.' By whose standards? Not by mine. All travel was approved by West's superiors."

Brian Henderson, who served on the museum board from 2000 until this week, replied to Hoxie's e-mail, telling board members: "It is beyond belief that one person could and would spend the public trust in such an inconsiderate way, recognizing the message that this sort of spending on personal travel has and would have on Indian people."

Henderson, a Merrill Lynch investment banker of Apache descent, said in his e-mail: "You must not forget the extraordinary effort made by all tribes to raise money, including lunch allowances given up by youngsters at levels of pennies/dimes, to help meet the quota for the building of the Museum itself. Rick's behavior and that of his 'superiors' smacks of insensitivity at best and arrogance at worst."

Henderson, in his note, said that he resented the fact that he had been asked to donate money to sponsor the museum's participation in the Venice Biennale, an international art show. Four of West's most expensive Smithsonian-paid trips were to Venice, including a $13,000 tab for West's travel to the 2005 biennale.

"I was pressured by then Director for Development, Elizabeth Duggal, to help subsidize the events in Venice and I contributed $5,000 of my own to in effect, pay for $1,000 a night stay for Rick West !!!!" Henderson wrote. Reflecting on all his donations over the years, he added: "I could have sent at least 25 deserving Indian students for a four year degree program anywhere in the US, or funded a wellness center or two on the Rez, or a sports program in many of the needy schools."

In an interview, Duggal said that Henderson volunteered to make the donations. "I am completely stunned and surprised by those remarks," she said. West, the founding director of the museum, helped raise $155 million to open the Indian Museum. The museum spent $124,000 on going-away activities for West, including $30,000 to produce an eight-minute DVD biography.

West authorized the expenditure for the portrait, completed in 2005, after consulting with some members of the museum's advisory board, St. Thomas said.

Henderson and another trustee, Norbert Hill, said they were not consulted. Hill said he thought the portrait was paid for by a law firm.

The Adams portrait, along with those of other secretaries of the Smithsonian, are in the administrative wing of the Castle, but belong to the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery collections. No other museum directors have commissioned portraits of themselves, St. Thomas said.