4 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8l 



ill success of his experiments of 1903, had met with unjust 

 ridicule, and doubtless inspired also by the partiality of a 

 friend, it cannot be denied that Dr. Bell made less promi- 

 nent in comparison with Langley's achievements the suc- 

 cessful pioneer work of the Wrights than he might well 

 have done appropriately on that occasion. But Dr. Bell 

 was not lacking in appreciation of the Wrights. In the 

 following letter recommending establishment of the Lang- 

 ley medal he suggests the fitness of awarding it to the 

 Wright brothers : 



Beinn Bhreagh, 



Near Baddeck, 

 Nova Scotia, 



December 5, 1908. 



Hon. C. D. Wakott, 



Secretary, Smithsonian Institution, 



Washington, D. C. 



Dear Secretary Walcott : 



The Wright brothers are being deservedly honored in Europe. 

 Can not America do anything for them? Why should not the 

 Smithsonian Institution give a Langley medal to encourage avia- 

 tion ? 



Yours, sincerely, 



Alexander Graham Bell, 



(See Smithsonian Annual Report, 1909, p. 107.) By refer- 

 ence to the same Report ' it will be seen also how strongly 

 Senator Lodge felt in regard to the merits of the Wright 

 brothers. 



2. Mr, Wright's feeling that the summary of the exercises 

 of February 10, 1910, printed in the Smithsonian 

 Annual Report of 1910 was misleading. 



I acknowledge with regret that the summary of the pro- 

 ceedings given at an earlier page of the Smithsonian An- 

 nual Report for 19 10 (pp. 22-23) is misleading. The sum- 

 mary quotes the following words from Mr. Wilbur Wright : 



'Smithsonian Annual Report, igog, p. iii. 



