SECRETARY'S REPORT 7 



land, who in 1826 bequeathed his property to the United States of 

 America "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowl- 

 edge among men." In receiving the property and accepting the trust, 

 Congress determined that the Federal Government was without au- 

 thority 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 Regents 

 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 resi- 

 dent in the city of Washington and the other four shall be inhabitants 

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

 Regents 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 resignation of a highly valued member 

 of the Board, Dr. Vannevar Bush, who had been a Regent since April 

 5, 1940. He was also a member of the executive committee of the 

 Board and in this capacity, too, rendered distinguished and outstand- 

 ing service to the Institution. 



The Board is honored to welcome as new members the following: 

 Everette Lee DeGolyer, to succeed Harvey N. Davis, deceased ; Craw- 

 ford Hallock Greenewalt, to succeed Vannevar Bush, resigned; and 

 Caryl Parker Haskins, to succeed Owen Josephus Roberts, deceased. 



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

 main hall of the Smithsonian Building on the evening of January 12, 

 1956, amid various exhibits showing phases of the work being carried 

 on at present. Brief talks on their special fields of research and ac- 

 tivities were made by two staff members : Dr. T. Dale Stewart and 

 Dr. Fred L. Whipple. 



The regular annual meeting of the Board was held on January 13, 

 1956. At this meeting the Secretary presented his published annual 

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

 V. Fleming, chairman of the executive and permanent committees of 

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

 June 30, 1955. 



The roll of Regents at the close of the fiscal year was as follows : 

 Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren, Chancellor; Vice 

 President Richard Nixon ; members from the Senate : Clinton P. An- 

 derson, Leverett Saltonstall, PI. Alexander Smith; members from 



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