SECRETARY’S REPORT PAT 
ADVISORY BOARD 
One meeting of the Advisory Board was held, on October 11, 1957. 
The Secretary introduced the new member of the Board, Rear Adm. 
R. E. Dixon, USN, who succeeded Rear Adm. James S. Russell, whose 
appointment terminated July 12, 1957. The other members, Dr. 
Leonard Carmichael, chairman; Maj. Gen. Reuben C. Hood, Jr., 
representing the Chief of Staff, Department of the Air Force; and 
the Presidentially appointed citizen members, Lt. Gen. James H. 
Doolittle, USAF (Ret.), and Grover Loening, continued their service 
on the Board. 
At this meeting the Board recommended the appointment of the 
Director and Honorary Fellows above named, and also recommended 
the appointment of Paul E. Garber as head curator and historian of 
the National Air Museum. 
The Board reaffirmed its approval of the Mall site for the National 
Air Museum Building. 
SPECIAL EVENTS 
Several notable presentation ceremonies took place during the year. 
The outstanding one was the unveiling and acceptance of the Gen. 
William Mitchell statue, sculptured by Bruce Moore, and the gift of 
the late George H. Stephenson. The statue was unveiled on Decem- 
ber 17, 1957, by William Mitchell, Jr., in the presence of members 
of the Mitchell family, the Stephenson family, and some 200 distin- 
guished guests. 
Other special ceremonies during the year included the presentation 
of a “Falcon” guided missile by the Honorable Barry Goldwater, 
United States Senator from Arizona, on behalf of the Hughes Air- 
eraft Co., on April 15, 1958; an Air Mail Medal of Honor, presented 
by Deputy Postmaster General Edson G. Sessions on May 14, 1958; 
and a “Vanguard” rocket and satellite, presented by Rear Adm. Raw- 
son Bennett of the United States Navy, on May 26, 1958. 
At these presentation ceremonies, Dr. Carmichael accepted the gifts 
for the Musuem with appropriate remarks. 
The National Air Museum was well represented on numerous oc- 
casions throughout the year by the head curator and historian, Paul 
KE. Garber. Mr. Garber’s activities included the following: 
The Early Birds, an organization of those who flew solo during 
the first 13 years of powered heavier-than-air flight (prior to Decem- 
ber 17, 1916) held their annual reunion in Washington July 27-29, 
1957. They enjoyed a tour of the aeronautical exhibits conducted by 
Mr. Garber, who is secretary of this organization. Their interest 
was increased not only because of their personal association with the 
