SECRETARY'S REPORT 39 



accepted from Dr. W. H. McLean by Secretary Carmichael on Feb- 

 ruary 1, 1956. The 10 principal vitamins are shown inside revolving 

 transparent globes. Outstanding historical facts on vitamin develop- 

 ment are illustrated. Display panels entitled "Dr. Wiley's Crusade," 

 "Fifty Years of Progress in Food and Drug Protection," and "How 

 Food and Drug Administration Protects You Today" were formally 

 presented for public view on May 4, 1956, at a ceremony attended by 

 Bradshaw Mintner, the Assistant Secretary of the Department of 

 Health, Education, and Welfare, Dr. George P. Larrick, Commis- 

 sioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Mrs. Harvey W. Wiley, 

 Mrs. Grace Drexler Nichols, executive director of the General Fed- 

 eration of Women's Clubs which supported Dr. Wiley's crusade, and 

 Secretary Carmichael. These three panels commemorate the fiftieth 

 anniversary of the enactment of the Federal Food and Drug legis- 

 lation. 



Substantial progress was made during the year on the installation 

 of the uniform and insignia display on the West Hall gallery. Glass 

 screens were placed over the fluorescent lights to protect the mate- 

 rials from fading, printed labels were prepared for many of the 

 specimens, and various items of personal adornment were installed. 



The United States section of the National Postage Stamp Collection 

 was completely remounted and placed in the floor frames for public 

 viewing during the past fiscal year. Special displays of postal mate- 

 rials were made available to the Fifth International Philatelic Ex- 

 hibition, held in the new Coliseum in New York, April 28-May 6, 

 1956, and at the American Stamp Dealer's Association shows in New 

 York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. 



VISITORS 



During the fiscal year 1956 there were 3,520,106 visitors to the 

 Museum buildings, an average daily attendance of 10,028. This is 

 an increase of 207,236 over the total in the previous fiscal year. In- 

 cluded in this total are 385,187 school children, who arrived in 10,457 

 separate groups. Among the visitors this year were special groups 

 such as the 4-H Club and the Safety Patrol. The month of April 

 1956 drew the largest crowd with 572,368 visitors. May 1956 was 

 the second largest with 517,447 and June 1956 was third with 421,107. 

 Attendance records for the buildings show the following numbers of 

 visitors: Smithsonian Building, 716,048; Arts and Industries Build- 

 ing, 1,796,480 ; and Natural History Building, 1,007,578. 



BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT 



A contract between the Government and the architectural firm of 

 McKim, Mead & White for the design of the Museum of History and 



412575—57 4 



