2 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 195 2 



of the Smithsonian Institution at any given moment in its operations. 

 In my quarter-century and more with the Smithsonian it has been 

 repeatedly impressed upon me that it has been the loyalty and spirit 

 and abilities of these workers that have helped most to achieve the In- 

 stitution's prime purpose — "the increase and diffusion of knowledge 

 among men." 



The original endowment fund received under the will of James 

 Smithson, with several later additions, is held in the United States 

 Treasury as a permanent trust and stands as official recognition of the 

 position held by the Smithsonian in relation to our Nation. The 

 Institution has deep and increasing pride in its position as guardian 

 of historical and scientific treasures that belong to all who now are 

 citizens of our country and that, equally, belong to the generations 

 of the future. It is our great responsibility to maintain these hold- 

 ings safely, to investigate and make known their values for the public 

 good, and to add to them in those ways that will enhance their worth 

 for the increase of knowledge. This responsibility is particularly 

 acute in times of national emergency, as during World War II or at 

 the present time when many peacetime activities must give place in 

 the Federal budget to matters of national defense. Smithsonian 

 administrators would not be faithful to their trust if even during 

 such periods they relaxed in their efforts to assure adequate support 

 through public funds for safeguarding and preserving for future 

 generations the treasures entrusted to them by the American people. 



Growth in the responsibilities of the Smithsonian since 1925 may be 

 better understood when it is known that the collections in its charge 

 have more than doubled during that time, while their value has 

 increased in even greater degree because they include so many 

 thousands of unique objects. It is not practicable to place a definite 

 monetary value on all these things, since for most there is no true 

 market in the sense of ordinary barter and sale. For many, partic- 

 ularly in the historical field, no real price in dollars may be set, as 

 their actual worth — for example, the relics of Washington, Jeffer- 

 son, and other national heroes — lies in the patriotic sentiment in which 

 they are held. It is sufficient to say that the more than 33,000,000 

 catalog entries now found in these collections may be valued at upward 

 of a billion dollars, but with the further explanation that no sum of 

 money, regardless of how great it might be, could ever replace these 

 materials should damage come to them. 



Many shifts and changes in our administrative alignment have been 

 made for improvement in procedures, for more efficient assignment of 

 staff, and for better utilization of the space available to us for housing. 

 The result has been an increased efficiency without which we would not 

 be able to meet the demands now laid upon us. The scope of all 



