SECRETARY'S REPORT 5 



lished fellowship program, opportunities for Latin American students 

 to serve as aides in research projects conducted at the Canal Zone 

 Biological Area. Discussions have also been held on a jointly financed 

 Organization of American States-Smithsonian program to provide 

 postdoctoral research grants for Latin American scholars in environ- 

 mental and descriptive biology tenable at both Barro Colorado in the 

 Canal Zone and the Museum of Natural History. 



The Institution has also discovered considerable interest among 

 major American private foundations for cooperative programs in 

 relatively neglected areas of basic science in the developing countries. 

 The development of these and similar activities in future years can 

 help fulfill the Institution's basic responsibility for the advancement 

 of science and the humanities among all peoples. 



THE ESTABLISHMENT 



The Smithsonian Institution was created by act of Congress in 1846, 

 in accordance with the terms of the will of James Smithson, of Eng- 

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

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

 Institution, and 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 

 authority 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 Institution suffered a great loss this year in the death of Repre- 

 sentative Clarence Cannon on May 12, 1961, the day before the spring 

 meeting of the Board. Mr. Camion had served as a Regent for nearly 

 30 years, longer than any other member of the Board. His wise 

 counsel and unselfish devotion to the affairs of the Smithsonian will be 

 sadly missed. On May 19 Representative George H. Mahon of Texas 

 was appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to fill 

 this vacancy. 



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

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

 from the Senate : Clinton P. Anderson, J. William Fulbright, Leverett 

 Saltonstall; members from the House of Representatives: Frank T. 

 Bow, Michael J. Kirwan, George H. Mahon ; citizen members : John 

 Nicholas Brown, William A. M. Burden, Robert V. Fleming, Crawford 

 H. Greenewalt, Caryl P. Haskins, Jerome C. Hunsaker. 



On January 23, 1964, the annual meeting of the Board was held in 

 the Regents' Room preceded by a private ceremony of installation of 



