SECRETARY'S REPORT 9 



OPENING OF MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



On the evening of January 22, 1964, with a hirge and distinguished 

 audience in attendance, dedication ceremonies were held for the formal 

 opening of the new Museum of History and Technology. The pro- 

 gram included music by the United States Marine Band, introductory 

 remarks by Dr. Leonard Carmichael, Secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, who presided as master of ceremonies, and addresses by 

 the Chancellor of the Smithsonian, the Honorable Earl Warren, Chief 

 Justice of the United States ; by the Honorable Clinton P. Anderson, 

 United States Senator from New Mexico, Regent of the Smithsonian, 

 and chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Construction 

 of a Building for a Museum of History and Technology for the Smith- 

 sonian Institution ; and by the President of the United States, Lyndon 

 B. Johnson. The texts of these addresses were later printed in 

 a brochure (Smithsonian Publication 4531) distributed by the 

 Institution. 



The history of the development and construction of this splendid 

 new museum of the Smithsonian on Washington's Mall has been told 

 in previous reports. Suffice it here to say that in many ways it has 

 exceeded expectations in its acceptance and use by the public. From 

 the day of opening until June 30, a period of 22 weeks, a total of more 

 than 2,500,000 visitors entered its doors. At the time of opening about 

 one-fifth of the total exhibition area of the building — 50 halls — were 

 ready for viewing. 



LANGLEY MEDAL PRESENTATION 



The Langley Medal of the Smithsonian Institution was awarded 

 on May 5 to Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., in recognition of his 

 "courageous and pioneering contributions to scientific research as the 

 first American to fly in space and the first to control the attitude of a 

 spacecraft while in flight and during a condition of weightlessness." 

 Presentation, which coincided with the third anniversary of Shepard's 

 historic flight, was made by Chief Justice Earl Warren, Chancellor of 

 the Smithsonian, at a brief ceremony at the Institution. In attend- 

 ance were members of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, including 

 Senator Clinton P. Anderson, who made a brief address; officials of 

 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Smithsonian 

 officials; and members of Commander Shepard's family. This was 

 the eleventh time the Smithsonian Institution had awarded the Lang- 

 ley Medal in the 56 years since its establishment in 1908. 



