SECRETARY'S REPORT 45 



DOCENT SERVICE 



Tlie Junior League of Washington continued its volunteer program 

 of conducting guided tours in modernized Smithsonian exhibition halls 

 for school children of the Greater Washington area, under the super- 

 vision of G. Carroll Lindsay, curator of the Smithsonian Museum 

 Service, working with Mrs. Clark Gearhart, chairman of the Smith- 

 sonian Volunteer Docent Committee of the Junior League of Wash- 

 ington, and Mrs. Dean Cowie, cochairman. At the conclusion of the 

 tour season, Mrs. Gearhart was succeeded as chairman by her co- 

 chairman, Mrs. Cowie. J\Irs. E. Tillman Stirling will serve as co- 

 chairman of the Docent Committee for the forthcoming year. 



During the 1959-60 season, tours were conducted as before in the 

 Halls of Power, Indians and the Eskimo, and Everyday Life in Early 

 America. In addition, two more modernized exhibits were included — 

 the Hall of Gems and Minerals and the Hall of Textiles. 



During the 6-month season from October 1959 to May 1960, 525 

 tours were conducted, in which 15,658 children participated, repre- 

 senting an increase of 3,662 over the previous year. 



For the first time tours were made available to junior high school 

 science students. These included, for this group as well as for ele- 

 mentary school children, the Hall of Gems and Minerals and the Hall 

 of Power. 



In addition to Mrs. Gearhart and Mrs. Cowie, the members of the 

 Docent Committee were: Mrs. George Armstrong, Mrs. Harrison 

 Brand III, Mrs. Walter A. Edwards, Mrs. William K. Ford, 

 Mrs. George Gerber, ]\Irs. William Graves, Mrs, Frederick Irving, 

 Mrs. Edward Lamont, Mi-s. Robert Larsen, Mrs. Ealph W. Lee III, 

 Mrs. John T. Malone, Mrs. William Minshall, Jr., Mi-s. Minot 

 Mulligan, Mrs. George Pendleton, Mi's. James T. Rasbury, Mrs. 

 Robert Rogers, Mrs. John Schoenfeld, Mrs. W. James Sears, 

 Mrs. John Simmons, Mrs. William D. Sloan, Mrs. James H. Stallings, 

 Mi-s. G. G. Thomas, Mrs. E. Tillman Stirling, Mrs. David Toll, 

 Mrs. Richard Wallis, and Mrs. Marc A. White. 



BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT 



In the act of May 13, 1960 (P. L. 86-455) Congress appropriated 

 funds for the construction of an east wmg and the air-conditioning 

 of the existing Natural History Building of the Smithsonian. The 

 added space will provide laboratories and workrooms for the scientific 

 staff, more adequate storage space, and the desired climatic control 

 for the preservation of the national collections of anthropology, the 

 natural sciences, and art. Improved facilities for the convenience of 

 the visiting public will also be afforded by this constiuction. Mills, 



