REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 9 



ber, a representative of the Board of Kegents of the Institution, had 

 not yet been designated. Mr. Delano was elected chairman of the 

 Commission and Dr. Abbot secretary. A ways and means committee 

 was appointed to consider the matter of soliciting funds from pro- 

 spective donors for the construction of the gallery building, and an 

 outline of the characteristics of a desirable type of building was 

 presented by the chairman. The meeting adjourned subject to call 

 by the chairman. 



The Smithsonian Institution is indeed gratified that at last there 

 is real promise of a suitable gallery building to house the valuable 

 art collections in its custody formerly known as the National Gallery 

 of Art and since 1937 as the National Collection of Fine Arts. Such 

 a gallery, together with the National Gallery of Art now under 

 construction and the Freer Gallery of Art, all associated with the 

 Smithsonian Institution, will undoubtedly go far toward placing 

 America among the forefront of nations in the field of art and will 

 eventually make of the Nation's Capital an art center comparable 

 with those of the Old World. 



SMITHSONIAN RADIO PROGRAM 



In June 1938 was completed the second full year of "The World 

 is Yours," the weekly radio program put on the air by cooperation 

 between the United States Office of Education, the National Broad- 

 casting Co., and the Smithsonian Institution, with the financial sup- 

 port of the Works Progress Administration. The series was begun 

 in June 1936 as an experiment in the field of educational radio. The 

 Smithsonian editorial office worked out a widely diversified but 

 carefully balanced series of subjects in the various fields of the 

 Institution's activities — science, invention, history, and art — and these 

 subjects were presented to listeners as half -hour dramatizations every 

 Sunday over an NBC network. The number of stations carrying the 

 programs was small at first, but increased gradually until in June 

 1938 "The World is Yours" went on the air over 57 stations and 2 

 short-wave stations. 



In my last report were listed the subjects covered in the first year's 

 programs. From July 1, 1937, to June 30, 1938, the following 

 subjects were presented: 



