SECRETARY'S REPORT 3 



Thirty years ago a mere 15 percent of museums in America were con- 

 nected with education in some form. This marked a drastic decline 

 from a hundred years ago when museums housed the genesis of scien- 

 tific research in the Western World. Today over 90 percent are 

 involved, ranging from simple school -extension programs to post- 

 graduate fellowships. It is for these reasons that we feel that the 

 Smithsonian, with its superb museum resources, now has a gi-eat 

 opportunity to serve the museum world in a role of leadership and 

 cooperation. As a first step in this eifort, the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion has entered into an agreement with the American Association 

 of Museums to promote a joint publications program to facilitate 

 the publication and distribution of works needed in the broad field of 

 museum administration, education, museum services, and the science 

 of muscology. 



Emphasis on Research 



Research on wild populations and undisturbed conditions in nature 

 has taken on an aspect of urgency in recent years because so many 

 opportunities for study have changed or disappeared. But man's need 

 to understand his environment and use it sympathetically will require 

 a broad program of observation and research, especially in the tropics. 

 The Smithsonian Institution will seek to promote interest in these 

 objectives throughout the public and private scientific community. 

 Beginning in April, Philip C. Ritterbush was appointed Special 

 Assistant to the Secretary for Scientific Matters, to explore prospects 

 for cooperation with other Government agencies in this effort and to 

 promote consideration of these objectives in the development of 

 national science policy. 



A related objective is to strengthen the position, within science as a 

 whole, of those fields of biology which have the entire organism as their 

 object : ecology, genetics, systematics, botany, zoology, oceanography, 

 microbiology, and paleontology, as well as the sciences of man which 

 have so long been central concerns of the Smithsonian. Two related 

 approaches to this subject have been begun. With hopes of contrib- 

 uting to the efficiency of research and investigation, studies are under- 

 way to promote the application of data processing, technician employ- 

 ment and training, improved cataloging methods, and more rapid 

 means of indexing and retrieving information in the biological 

 sciences. In order to overcome shortages of competent investigators, 

 studies have begim to indicate appropriate means of expanding educa- 

 tional opportunity in neglected areas of the natural sciences. 



766-746—65 2 



