REPORT OF THE SECRETARY: NATIONAL MUSEUM 85 



The foyer was occupied from April 17 until May 5, 1933, for an 

 exhibition of public school art under the auspices of the Eastern Arts 

 Association, and from Ma,y 8 to 20 i)art of the foyer was given over to 

 an exhibition of colored posters on wild-flower preservation, under the 

 auspices of the Wild Flower Preservation Society. 



CHANGES IN ORGANIZATION AND STAFF 



The changes this year in organization and stafi' were caused chiefly 

 by the compulsory retirement on June 30, 1932, of a number of 

 employees in key positions. The retirement of W. deC. Ravenel 

 deprived the department of arts and industries of its director and the 

 division of history of its administrative supervisor. The duties of 

 both of these offices were on July 1, 1932, temporarily assumed by 

 J. E. Graf, associate director of the Museum. On September 6, 1932, 

 the position of director of the department of arts and industries was 

 replaced by a new position of head curator- — bringing the department 

 in line with the natural history departments — and Carl W. Mitman, 

 curator of engineering, was advanced to the head curatorship. Frank 

 A. Taylor, assistant curator of engineering, succeeded Mr. Mitman as 

 curator of the division of engineering. The division of history- con- 

 tinued to remain an independent division, reporting to the head of 

 the Museum through the associate director. 



In the department of biology, the assistant curatorship of the 

 division of fishes, vacated by the retirement of Barton A. Bean on 

 June 30, 1932, was filled on January 3, 1933, by the appointment 

 of Dr. George S. Myers. Dr. Horace G. Richards, assistant curator in 

 the division of mollusks, resigned on September 10, 1932. 



In the department of anthropology, the position of scientific aide 

 that had been held by Richard A. Allen w^as abolished, and the clerical 

 force was strengthened by the appointment of an assistant clerk- 

 stenographer for the division of ethnology. 



In the department of geology, James Benn was made scientific 

 aide on March 1, 1933, taking over part of the work formerly done 

 by Miss Margaret W. Moodey. 



In the mechanical shops, 11. C. Taylor, head of the paint shop, who 

 retired on June 30, 1932, was succeeded on September G, 1932, by 

 William Crossingham, who had been associated with this branch of 

 the Museum work for over 30 years. 



In the administration office, James G. Tra3'lor, appointment clerk, 

 was retired on June 30, 1932, but he continued as clerk to the ]5oard 

 of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. On January 10, 1933, 

 the appointment work of the Smithsonian Institution was consoli- 

 dated with the classification and retirement work, and Miss Helen 

 A. Olmsted, from the administrative office of the Museum, was made 

 personnel officer of the Institution. 



