PB.OCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS 131 



the Natural History Building. A list recently made of the portraits in oil and 

 pastel now in possession of the Institution and in i)art available for assem- 

 blage in the portrait gallery, luimbers upward of 400. 



The desirability of improving the standard of the portraits of personages of 

 national distinction, which in time might be included in the National Portrait 

 Gallery, was considered, but no definite action was taken. 



The preliminary plans for the proposed National Gallery Building as pre- 

 pared by Mr. Piatt, the architect, were considered. 



The very important problem of the inclusion in the building of collections 

 both of art and history received attention, and the view prevailed that it would 

 be advantageous, at least for a time, to have the two in the same building 

 but distinctly separated. 



The chairman submitted the resignation of Mr. Edwin H. Blashfleld, and it 

 was voted to recommend Mr. E. C. Tarbell to the Board of Regents as his 

 successor. 



The secretary of the commission announced the expiration of the three-year 

 terms of the following members of the commission : Messrs. John E. Lodge, 

 James Parmelee, and E. W. Redfield, and their election for four years was 

 recommended by the commission. 



Then followed the reelection of the present officers of the commission and 

 also of the members of the executive and advisory committees for the ensuing 

 year. 



On motion, the board accepted the report and adopted the following 



resolution : 



Resolved, That the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution hereby 

 accepts with regret the resignation of Mr. E. H. Blashfield as a member of the 

 National Gallery of Art Commission: elects Mr. Edmund C. Tarbell for the 

 remainder of Mr. Blashfield's term, namely, to December 14, 1027; reelects 

 Messrs. John E. Lodge, James Parmelee, E. W. Redfield, and Mr. Daniel Chester 

 French as members for the full term of four years. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 



In siibmittino; his annnal report of the operations of the Institu- 

 tion for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1924, the secretary said that 

 since the last annual meeting of the Regents on December 13, 1923, a 

 total of 110 publications have been issued by the Institution and the 

 Government branches in its administrative charge. Of this num- 

 ber 40 were issued by the Institution, 67 by the National Museum, 

 and 3 by the Bureau of American Ethnolog3\ It is by means of 

 these various series of publications, together with exhibits, lectures, 

 radio talks, and correspondence, that the Institution carries out one 

 of its primary objects, the " diffusion of knowledge among men." 

 The publications are distributed free to libraries, scientifi'c and edu- 

 cational institutions, and "interested individuals throughout the 

 world. 



The Smithsonian Annual Eeport continues to attract widespread 

 popular interest. These reports have been issued two years late 

 since the World War, but Congress has provided an additional 

 amount to enable the Institution to bring out two in one year, and at 

 the present time the report for 1923 is ready for paging and all the 

 galleys of the report for 1924 have been received from the printer. 



