2 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1950 



the Congress. Most of them are now supported largely by Govern- 

 ment funds although remaining under Smithsonian direction. At 

 present, nearly all the research and exploration of the Institution is 

 done through these bureaus, notably the United States National 

 Museum, the Bureau of American Ethnology, and the Astrophysical 

 Observatory. 



Unfortunately, the governmental support of the branches of the 

 Institution, now ten in number, has not kept pace with even the 

 normal exigencies of modern times. The greatest deficiency at the 

 present time is in the physical plant and facilities. As I have pointed 

 out in previous reports, the problem of housing the constantly increas- 

 ing collections of the National Museum is so critical that important 

 material must be refused because there is no space to store it, to say 

 nothing of exhibiting it. The Natm-al History Building at Constitu- 

 tion Avenue and Tenth Street and the 80-year-old Arts and Industries 

 Building to the south are so crowded that the task of accommodating 

 new accessions becomes a juggling game. Alleviation of these condi- 

 tions awaits the time when Congress appropriates funds for the new 

 buildings we have under consideration. 



Throughout the period of the two world wars and the intervening 

 "depression," many of our museum exhibits, though adequate enough 

 in their day, became badly out of date and in need of drastic renova- 

 tion. During the past 2 or 3 years it has been possible to begin the 

 job of modernizing these exhibits, and the work will go forward as 

 rapidly as funds for the purpose become available. This is a large 

 and time-consuming undertaking, but one that is vital to the Institu- 

 tion's educational program. During the past year more than 2,600,000 

 persons visited the Smithsonian group of buildings. It is our obliga- 

 tion, so far as our funds and facilities permit, to extend to this large 

 cross section of the public (many of whom are students) all possible 

 courtesies and assistance and to make their visits stimulating and 

 rewarding. 



For the most part the year saw few major changes in the Institu- 

 tion's staff. In many departments shortages of personnel continue 

 to exist, a situation that can be remedied only as rapidly as new posi- 

 tions are provided for by budgetary and congressional authorization. 

 On May 31, 1950, Webster Prentiss True retired as chief of the edi- 

 torial division after nearly 36 years with the Institution and was 

 succeeded in that position on June 1 by Paul H. Oehser, assistant 

 chief of the division and editor of the National Museum. Dr. Leiand 

 O. Howard, veteran entomologist and honorary curator of insects of 

 the National Museum, died on May 1, 1950; Dr. Henri Pittier, associ- 

 ?Lte in botany, on January 27, 1950. 



