132 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1925 



ADJOURNED MEETING, JANUARY 5, 1925 



Present : The Hon. William H. Taft, Chief Justice of the United 

 States, chancellor; Senator Reed Smoot; Senator A. Owsley Stanlej'^; 

 Representative Alberl Jolmson; Representative R. Walton JNIoore; 

 Representative Walter H. Newton; Mr. Robert S. Brookings; Mr. 

 Frederic A. Delano; and the secretary, Dr. Charles D. Walcott. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT 



The secretary read a letter from Mr. John E. Lodge expressing the 

 grateful acknowledgment of his family for the resolutions adopted 

 by the Board of Regents on December 11, 1924, on the death of his 

 father. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, a Regent of the Institution. 



INCREASE OF ENDOWMENT 



The executive committee reported that it had carefully considered 

 a plan submitted by a New York firm for increasing the endowment 

 of the Institution, and had received the opinion of the Attorney Gen- 

 eral that there was no legal impediment in the way of engaging the 

 firm for this purpose. 



The board adopted a resolution giving the permanent committee 

 power to act in the matter. 



REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON PLANS TOR NEW BUILDING TOR NA- 

 TIONAL GALLERY OF ART 



Mr. Delano read the following report : 



To the Board of Regents. 



Gentlemen : Your committee appointed by tlie board ou February 14, 1924, 

 for the purpose of collaborating with the architect in the preparation of plans 

 for the proposed National Gallery of Art Building, met at the Smithsonian 

 Institution on October 28, 1924. 



Mr. Charles A. Piatt, the architect, who had recently returned from a tour 

 of the art galleries abroad, submitted preliminary sketch plans for the build- 

 ing. These comprised plans of the three floors with sections, and a detailed 

 drawing of the south front. Plans of a number of European galleries, drawn 

 to the same scale, were presented for comparison, and details of lighting 

 adaptation to spaces and various other requirements of the structure were 

 considered. Mr. Piatt explained that it was exi>ected that granite would 

 be employed in the construction, and that the building, which will be 320 by 

 570 feet, would contain possibly 10,000,000 cubic feet. He said also that if 

 required the plans could be ready for the beginning of the work within six 

 months. 



The provisional plans as presented were ajiproved by the committee as a 

 basis for future study. 

 Respectfully submitted. 



Henry White, Chairman, 

 Frederic A. Delano, 

 HEaRBbJiT Adams, 

 Gari Melchers, 

 ' / J. H. Gest, 



Charles D. Walcott (ex officio). 



Special Committee. 



