SECRETARY'S REPORT 11 



era! scientific programs of the Institution at Barro Colorado Island. 

 A list of such grants made during the year is given in the Financial Re- 

 port of the Executive Committee, at the end of this report. 



BIO-SCIENCES INFORMATION EXCHANGE 



By a cooperative arrangement with all branches of the armed forces 

 and with other Federal agencies, the Smithsonian Institution con- 

 tinued to administer the Bio-Sciences Information Exchange under 

 the directorship of Dr. Stella L. Deignan. 



The Exchange is charged with the responsibility of "preventing 

 the imknowing duplication of research support by the several 

 Government agencies concerned." In carrying out this responsibility, 

 it has developed techniques that maintain a rapid interchange of con- 

 cise information on the support of research in the bio-sciences and on 

 its content in both broad and specific subject areas. The Exchange 

 reports that it has been able to supply adequate information in re- 

 sponse to every request it has received from its sponsors. The body 

 of information, at first confined almost entirely to medical research, 

 now contains sizable components in basic biology, psychology, and 

 mental health. An increasingly close liaison with nongovernmental 

 granting agencies has been developed. During 1955 the active proj- 

 ects registered exceeded 9,000, bringing the present total to more than 

 19,000 projects. 



ORGANIZATION AND STAFF 



A number of important personnel changes affecting Smithsonian 

 staff members occurred during the year. Loyal B. Aldrich retired 

 on June 30, 1955, after 46 years with the Astrophysical Observatory 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, since 1945 as its director. In his place 

 Dr. Fred L. Whipple was appointed, effective July 1. At the time 

 of his appointment Dr. Whipple was chairman of the department 

 of astronomy at Harvard University. At the same time, headquarters 

 of the Astrophysical Observatory were changed to Cambridge, Mass., 

 where its astronomers will work in close proximity to Harvard's pro- 

 gram of solar research. Some administrative and mechanical work 

 will continue in the laboratories and shops of the Astrophysical Ob- 

 servatory in Washington, and the two field observatories in Chile and 

 Table Mountain, Calif., will be maintained. 



On September 13, 1954, by transfer from the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, Dr. J. F. Gates Clarke assumed the position formerly 

 held by Dr. Edward A. Chapin as curator of insects in the United 

 States National Museum. 



John D. Howard, Smithsonian Treasurer, retired effective Decem- 

 ber 31, 1954, and Thomas F. Clark, chief of the fiscal division, was 



