6 Al>rNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1960 



May the opportunity be taken here to express, on behalf of every- 

 one connected with the Smithsonian Institution, gratitude to the Con- 

 gress of the United States for making available funds for the addition 

 of a much-needed east wing to the Natural History Building and 

 also for the air-conditioning and renovation of this old and important 

 building. For more than a quarter of a century, published records 

 show that Congress has recognized that the facilities of the Natural 

 History Building are overcrowded and inadequate for the important 

 scientific and museum functions assigned to it. It is a source of 

 special rejoicing, therefore, that the Institution is now being allowed 

 to develop facilities so that it will be able to accomplish far better 

 scientific work in this building than was feasible in the past. 



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, under the name of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, an establislmient 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." 



THE BOARD OF REGENTS 



The membership of the Board of Regents remained unchanged 

 during the current year. The roll of Regents at the close of the 

 fiscal year was as follows: Chief Justice of the United States Earl 

 Warren, Chancellor; Vice President Richard M. Nixon; members 

 from the Senate : Clinton P. Anderson, J. William Fulbright, Leverett 

 Saltonstall; members from the House of Representatives: Frank T. 

 Bow, Overton Brooks, Clarence Cannon; citizen members: John 

 Nicholas Brown, Arthur H. Compton, Robert V. Fleming, Crawford 

 H. Greenewalt, Caryl P. Haskins, and Jerome C. Hunsaker. 



As has been customary in recent years, an informal dinner meeting, 

 preceding the annual meeting, was held on the evening of January 

 14, 1960, in the main hall of the Smithsonian Building amid exhibits 

 from the various divisions showing the most recent developments in 

 the work of the Smithsonian bureaus. Dr. James F. Cahill spoke 

 on "Tlie Chinese National Art Collection (Palace Collection) in 



