REPORT 
UPON 
THE CONDITION AND PROGRESS OF THE U. S. NATIONAL 
MUSEUM DURING THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1906. 
By RicHARD RaTHBUN, 
Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in charge of the U. 8S. National Museum. 
In the death of Samuel Pierpont Langley, Secretary of the Smith- 
sonian’ Institution, on February 27, 1906, the National Museum, of 
which he was the keeper by virtue of his higher office, has suffered a 
severe loss. 
Although Mr. Langley’s scientific work lay in the direction of 
astronomy and physics, his wide range of learning and breadth of 
view led him to take a deep personal interest in all the varied activi- 
ties of the Museum, with some of which, moreover, he was especially 
identified. It was largely through his efforts that the collections 
relating to the history of time-keeping devices and to standards of 
weights and measures were brought together, and the art subjects 
strongly appealed to his esthetic sense. 
The extensive collections exhibited in the public halls were in his 
view not only valuable to the student but capable of imparting infor- 
mation to the man of ordinary education, and in behalf of the people 
at large he sought the elimination from the labels of such technical 
matter as was beyond their comprehension. He was also especially 
solicitous as to the needs of the child, as 1s strikingly illustrated in the 
so-called children’s room, due to his initiative and direction. 
As was to be expected, the manifold duties resting upon the Secre- 
tary precluded his taking up the details of management of the Museum, 
but he was ever active in guarding its interests before Congress and 
the public. j 
The work of this great man will be recorded in another place and at 
another time. In this connection I only wish to express my sense of 
personal loss and my deep appreciation of the confidence he bestowed 
in committing to me the administration of the National Museum. 
1 
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