160 ANNUAL REPOKT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 192 8 



Mr. Delano stated that a vacancy existed in the membership of 

 the executive committee and offered the following resolution, which, 

 was adopted : 



Resolved, That Dr. John C. Merriam be elected a member of the executive' 

 committee of the Board of Regents of the Smithsdnian Institution. 



Mr. Delano, chairman, reported on a nmnber of important things 

 which have been under consideration by the executive and permanent 

 committees. 



On motion, the report was received. 



At this point Doctor xVbbot and Doctor Wetmore withdrew from 

 the meeting. 



Mr, Delano then presented a i-e])ori recommending to the Board 

 of Regents for election to the position of secretai-y the name of 

 Dr. Charles G. Abbot, at present the acting secretary, and offered the 

 following resolution, which was unanimously adopted : 



Resolved, That the A'acancy in the position of secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution be filled by the election of Dr. Charles Greeley Abbot. 



Doctor Abbot was then recalled to the meeting and notified of his 

 election. He expressed his appreciation of the high honor conferred 

 upon him, and his assurance that his very best efforts would be 

 put forth to further increase the usefulness and prestige of the 

 Institution. 



Senator Robinson here said that he would like the opportunity to 

 express the board's congratulations to Doctor Abbot and its confi- 

 dence that he would carry on the great work of the Institution with 

 success. 



POSTPONED MEETING EEBBUARY 17, 192S 



Present: Hon. Charles (i. Dawes, Vice President of the United 

 States, in the chair; Senator Reed Smoot, Senator Woodbridge N. 

 Ferris, Senator Joseph T. Robinson, Representative Albert Johnson, 

 Representative Walter H. Newton, Mr. Frederic A. Delano, Hon. 

 Irwin B. Laughlin, Dr. John C. Merriam, and the secretary, Dr. 

 Charles G. Abbot. 



Dr. Alexander Wetmore, assistant secretary, w-as also present. 



The secretary reported that as directed by the Board of Regents, 

 a meeting in memory of Doctor Walcott was held at the National 

 Museum on January 24, 1928. The meeting, which Avas well attended, 

 was presided over by the Chancellor of the Institution, and addresses 

 on the late secretary's life and work were made by Dr. John C. JVIer- 

 riam, president of the Carnegie Institution of Washington; Dr. 

 Joseph S. Ames, chairman of the National Advisory Committee for 

 Aeronautics; Dr. George Otis Smith, Director of the United States 

 Geological Survey; and by the secretary, representing the Smith- 

 sonian Institution and the National Academy of Sciences. An ac- 



