142 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
ADVISORY BOARD 
Although no meetings of the Advisory Board were held during the 
year, the members have been consulted from time to time on important 
museum activities. One member of the Board, Grover C. Loening, 
gave the Lester D. Gardner Lecture in Washington, under the spon- 
sorship of the National Air Museum. 
SPECIAL EVENTS 
Several notable presentation ceremonies were held during the year. 
Outstanding was the presentation of the Jupiter C rocket and Ex- 
plorer I satellite by Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker, on 
January 31, 1959, the anniversary date of the placing of the first 
American satellite into orbit. Other special ceremonies included the 
presentation of a recovered data capsule by Gen. Bernard Schriever, 
U.S. Air Force; a working model of the Vanguard satellite, presented 
by Dr. John P. Hagen of NASA; and the first recovered nose cone, 
presented by Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker. In each in- 
stance Dr. Carmichael accepted the gift for the Museum with ap- 
propriate remarks. 
The Director attended the World Congress of Flight at Las Vegas, 
Nev., April 12-18, and from there proceeded to the National Aviation 
Educational Council held at Riverside, Calif., April 19-20, 1959. 
The head curator and historian, Paul E. Garber, represented the 
Museum at a number of events identified with aviation history. These 
included the Vanguard satellite anniversary banquet; the annual 
meeting of the American Helicopter Society; the National Rocket 
Club annual banquet; the annual meeting of the Early Birds; and 
the National Postage Stamp Show. He delivered 13 lectures during 
the year and conducted 6 special tours of the Museum for groups of 
military visitors. He also participated in a number of television and 
radio programs during the year and paid visits to Hammondsport, 
New York, and St. Louis on Museum business. 
Both the Director and head curator were appointed by the National 
Aeronautic Association as members of the committee to select the 
annual recipient of the National Frank G. Brewer Award for Aviation 
Education. 
IMPROVEMENTS IN EXHIBITS 
The aircraft, engines, and other aviation equipment scheduled for 
display in the new exhibit for the Aircraft Building are being cleaned, 
repaired, and made ready for exhibition. 
A general cleaning and renovation of exhibits and some minor re- 
pairs were undertaken. 
