SECRETARY'S REPORT d 



many very highly regarded scientists. For example, in the field of 

 anthropology the Institution has distinguished archeologists, ethnolo- 

 gists, and students of cultural and physical anthropology. In the 

 area of zoology there are experts on mammals, birds, reptiles, amphib- 

 ians, fishes, insects, marine invertebrates, mollusks, and other fauna. 

 In all the principal branches of botany the Institution has experts 

 who work with the millions of specimens of plants in the United 

 States National Herbarium of the Smithsonian Institution. The same 

 may be said of the Smithsonian's department of geology, where 

 scholars with expert knowledge in such fields as mineralogy, inverte- 

 brate and vertebrate paleontology, and paleobotany are at work. 



The Museum of History and Technology, which also is a part of the 

 United States National Museimi, has on its staff experts in the history 

 of the physical sciences, mechanical, electrical, civil, and other fields 

 of engineering, and the history of transportation and of the medical 

 sciences. Under the general heading of arts and manufactures, the 

 Institution has experts in textiles, ceramics, glass, agricultural imple- 

 ments, and the processes and equipment of the so-called heavy indus- 

 tries. In the department of civil history the Institution has scholars 

 who are specialists in political history, cultural history, as well as in 

 philately and numismatics. The research staff of the Division of 

 JVIilitary and Naval History deals in an expert way with the facts 

 and especially of musemn objects that are related to the development 

 of the Armed Forces of the Nation. 



The Bureau of American Ethnology and the Astrophysical Observa- 

 tory of the Smithsonian both have staffs of distinguished scientists. 

 In the field of art, the National Gallery of Art, the National Collection 

 of Fine Arts, and the Freer Gallery of Art all are represented by 

 scholarly staffs. The same may be said of the staff of the National 

 Air Museum, the National Zoological Park, and the Canal Zone Bio- 

 logical Area. 



This outline enumeration of these fields of expert knowledge repre- 

 sented at the Smithsonian demonstrates how important it is for the 

 Institution at all times to devote its best energies to the securing of in- 

 dividuals for its staff who have outstanding qualifications. Today, be- 

 cause of increasing competition with large governmental organizations 

 and research oriented universities, obtaining men and women 

 of high distinction for what may be called the research faculty of the 

 Smithsonian is not easy. The current year has, however, been one in 

 which some truly outstanding scholars have elected to join the family 

 of experts who make up the modern Smithsonian. 



In last year's report a summary was given of the progress that had 

 taken place in recent years in the renovation of exhibits at the Smith- 

 sonian. Work on this great program continued in an active way dur- 



