APPENDIX 9 

 REPORT ON THE NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM 



Sm: On August 12, 1946, President Truman approved an act of 

 the Seventy-ninth Congress (H. R. 5144) establishing, under the 

 Smithsonian Institution, a bureau to be known as a National Air Mu- 

 seum. The act, now referred to as Public Law 722, stipulates that 

 this bureau shall be administered by the Smithsonian Institution 

 "with the advice of a board to be composed of the Commanding Gen- 

 eral of the Army Air Forces or his successor, the Chief of Naval Op- 

 erations or his successor, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, and two citizens of the United States appointed by the President 

 from civilian life, who shall serve at the pleasure of the President." 



The purpose of the National Air Museum is to "memorialize the 

 national development of aviation; collect, preserve, and display aero- 

 nautical equipment of historical interest and significance; serve as 

 a repository for scientific equipment and data pertaining to the de- 

 velopment of aviation ; and provide educational material for the his- 

 torical study of aviation." 



After the passage of the act, Dr. Wetmore discussed with Gen- 

 eral Spaatz and Admiral Nimitz the designation of appropriate rep- 

 resentatives of the Army Air Forces and the Navy to the Advisory 

 Board. As a result, General Spaatz appointed Maj. Gen. E. M. 

 Powers, and Admiral Nimitz appointed Rear Adm. H. B. Sallada. 

 The latter was replaced on May 1, 1947, by Rear Adm. A. M. Pride. 

 On December 3, 1946, President Truman appointed Grover Loening 

 and William B. Stout to be civilian members of the Advisory Board 

 as provided in the law. 



On December 16 the first and organizational meeting of the Ad- 

 visory Board was held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. 

 At this meeting Dr. Wetmore was unanimously elected chairman. A 

 general discussion of the preliminary plans for an aeronautical 

 museum then followed, the Board calling attention to the danger of 

 losing valuable historical and technical material unless prompt action 

 were taken. Toward this end, Dr. Wetmore was requested to com- 

 mmiicate immediately with leaders in all branches of aeronautics 

 requesting that such material be preserved for future review by the 

 Board. 



The Board also discussed section 3 of the act which calls on the 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution with the advice of the Ad- 



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