6 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1955 



of America "to found at Washington, under the name of tlie Smith- 

 sonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of 

 knowledge among men." In receiving the property and accepting 

 the trust, Congress determined that the Federal Government was 

 without authority to administer the trust directly, and, therefore, 

 constituted an "establishment" whose statutory members are "the 

 President, the Vice President, the Chief Justice, and the heads of the 

 executive departments." 



THE BOARD OF REGENTS 



The affairs of the Institution are administered by a Board of Ee- 

 gents whose membership consists of "the Vice President, the Chief 

 Justice of the United States, and three members of the Senate, and 

 three members of the House of Representatives; together with six 

 other persons, other than members of Congress, two of whom shall be 

 resident in the city of Washington and the other four shall be in- 

 habitants of some State, but no two of them of the same State." One 

 of the Eegents is elected Chancellor of the Board. In the past the 

 selection has fallen upon the Vice President or the Chief Justice. 



The past year brought the death of a valued member of tlie Board 

 of Regents. Former Justice of the Supreme Court Owen Josephus 

 Roberts died on May 17, 1955. Justice Roberts had been a Regent 

 only since July 23, 1953, and on account of illness had been able to 

 attend only one meeting of the Board. The death of this eminent 

 jurist and public servant was a severe loss to the Institution. 



The Board is honored to welcome as a new member the Honorable 

 Overton Brooks of Louisiana to succeed the Honorable Leroy Jolin- 

 son. It is my pleasure also to record the reappointment to the Board 

 of the Honorable Clarence Cannon, the Honorable John M. Vorys, 

 the Honorable Clinton P. Anderson, the Honorable Leverett Salton- 

 stall, and Dr. Jerome C. Hunsaker. 



The annual informal dinner meeting of the Board was held in the 

 main hall of the Smithsonian Building on the evening of January 13, 

 1955, amid various exhibits showing phases of the work being carried 

 on at present. Brief illustrated talks on their special fields of research 

 and activities were made by three staff members : Frederick M. Bayer, 

 Dr. George S, Switzer, and Archibald Wenley. 



The regular annual meeting of the Board was held on January 14, 

 1955. At this meeting the Secretary presented his published annual 

 report on tlie activities of the Institution and its bureaus; and Robert 

 V. Fleming, chairman of the executive and i)ermanent committees of 

 the Board, presented the financial report for the fiscal year ended June 

 30, 1955. 



