EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY 9 



nual report of the Smithsonian Art Commission. Mr. Delano also 

 presented the report of the Smithsonian Gallery of Art Commission, 

 established by the act of May 17, 1938, providing a site for the pro- 

 posed Smithsonian Gallery of Art and for other purposes including 

 the selection of designs, by competition or otherwise, for the building. 

 The Deficiency Act of June 25, 1938, appropriated $40,000 for the use 

 of the Commission. The Board received the report for consideration 

 and approved the selection of Eliel Saarinen as the architect of the 

 building. 



The Board formally approved the acceptance of the Samuel H. 

 Kress gift of Italian art by the Smithsonian Institution for the Na- 

 tional Gallery of Art, and also a plan for old-age and incapacitation 

 pensions for the private employees in the Institution. 



In his usual special report the Secretary mentioned briefly the more 

 important activities carried on by the Institution and its branches 

 during the year. 



FINANCES 



A statement on finances will be found in the report of the Execu- 

 tive Committee of the Board of Regents, page 109. 



MATTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST 

 SMITHSONIAN RADIO PROGRAM 



June 9, 1940, marked the completion of 4 years of the Smithsonian 

 radio program, "The World Is Yours." A pioneer in the field of 

 popularizing science, invention, history, and art by means of drama- 

 tized radio broadcasts, this series has been put on the air through the 

 cooperation of the Smithsonian Institution, the United States Office 

 of Education, the National Broadcasting Co., and the Works Projects 

 Administration. Beginning with only a few stations, "The World Is 

 Yours" has steadily increased in popularity in all parts of the country 

 until today it is carried every Sunday on some 80 stations of the 

 N. B. C. red network. Over half a million letters have been received 

 from listeners, the great majority of whom are enthusiastic in their 

 commendation of the program. 



The greatest tribute ever paid the series came in the spring of 

 1940. A leading radio-audience research service, upon completing a 

 Nation-wide analysis of the size of the listening audiences of all pro- 

 grams on all networks, gave "The World Is Yours" the highest rating 

 among all sustaining programs on the air. This is a very gratifying 

 indication that science, history, and other cultural fields arouse 

 Nation-wide interest when presented in popular form. 



In selecting the program subjects, the Smithsonian Institution en- 

 deavors to create a well-rounded series that in the course of a year 



