4 AKNXTAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1962 



ing tlie present year. Once again it may be pointed out that as a 

 result of the new educationally significant exhibits now on view the 

 total attendance at the Smithsonian again reached an all-time record. 

 In the old Smithsonian Institution buildings on the Mall, exclusive of 

 the National Gallery of Art and the National Zoological Park, at- 

 tendance this year reached 8,923,131. This is an increase of 1,819,657 

 visitors over the previous year. This year's attendance becomes even 

 more dramatic when it is remembered that only 10 years ago the total 

 attendance at these same buildings was 3,103,651. 



It is important for all who are interested in the work of the Smith- 

 sonian to remember that in spite of its outstandmg new exhibits the 

 total collections of the Smithsonian contain many more objects than 

 are on exhibition. These great study collections are utilized by 

 hundreds of research workers from other government bureaus and 

 from universities all over the United States each year. The total 

 number of cataloged objects at the Smithsonian Institution now 

 numbers nearly 56 million. 



When the east and west wings of the Natural History Building are 

 completed and opened for use and when the great new Museum of His- 

 tory and Technology is open, the effectiveness of the whole pattern 

 of public display and of the use of study collections will be greatly 

 increased. 



To all who are interested in the active present programs of the In- 

 stitution, it is important to point out that the high caliber of its staff, 

 the new Smithsonian buildings, the improvements in the display of 

 objects, and the increase of collections are all directly and indirectly 

 related to the leadership of the Institution provided by its dis- 

 tinguished Board of Eegents. The Secretary and all the staff mem- 

 bers of the Institution can never express in an adequate way their 

 deep debt of gratitude to the members of the Board of Eegents for all 

 that they do each year for the welfare of the Smithsonian Institution. 



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 

 England, who in 1826 bequeathed his property to the United States 

 of America "to found at Washington, imder the name of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of 

 knowledge 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." 



