120 ANNUAL KEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1912. 



My association with the Institution was always delightful, and I need hardly 

 say that I shall continue as long as I live to take the keenest interest in the 

 pi'ogress and welfare of the Smithsonian. With many thanks, I am. 

 Very sincerely, yours, 



J. B. Henderson. 



The secretary also read the following extract from a letter in rela- 

 tion to the resolutions adopted by the board on the death of Chief 

 Justice Fuller : 



These resolutions are a fitting and appropriate tribute to the late chancellor 

 of the Institution, a man of such amiable and attractive character that I can 

 not doubt his associates on the board sincerely mourned their loss in his death. 

 I beg to express my appreciation of the action of the board in this matter. 



THE FULLER MEMORIAL. 



The secretary stated that at the meeting of the board held Feb- 

 ruary 9, 1911, the following resolution was adopted : 



Resolved, That the secretary be requested to prepare a suitable memorial of 

 the life and work of the late Chief Justice Melville Weston Fuller, chancellor 

 of the Smithsonian Institution from 18SS to 1910, which memorial is hereby 

 declared approved for inclusion in the next annual report of the Board of 

 Regents. 



The secretary desired to report that in accordance Avith the require- 

 ments of the resolution he had prepared the memorial, which would 

 be found in the annual report just issued. 



SUNDAY OPENING OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The secretary said that at the meeting of February 10, 1910, the 

 board adopted a resolution directing the secretary to provide for the 

 opening on Sunday " for a period not longer than five hours of such 

 portions of the National Museum as he may deem expedient." 



He desired to report that the requirements of the resolution had 

 been fulfilled and that the new building had been opened to the 

 public on Sunday afternoons, beginning October 8. Nearlj- two- 

 thirds of the exhibition space had been made accessible by introduc- 

 ing temporary installations where the permanent arrangements were 

 not completed. That this innovation, which had been urged for many 

 years, would greatly increase the usefulness and popularity of the 

 Museum was indicated by the large attendance, which reached a total 

 of 15,467 persons on the first day. This unusual number, largely in- 

 duced by curiosity, was not repeated, but since then the daily Sunday 

 average had been between 3,000 and 4,000, which is not greatly below 

 the weekly average previously, 



\Miile the new building was structurally finished in June last, 

 certain minor details remained to be completed, such as the painting 

 of the interior of the rotunda and the final part of the work of grad- 

 ing and road building, all of which had been since completed. 



