2 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1949 
When the Smithsonian Institution began its operations more than 
one hundred years ago, it carried on its research programs largely by 
subsidizing the work of scientists not on its own staff, and by publish- 
ing the results of their work. As these pioneer researches expanded 
in scope and became somewhat stabilized, bureaus gradually grew up 
around the Institution, each with its own staff specializing in the 
work of that particular field. The value of the various activities 
gradually became known to the Nation, and eventually one by one 
they were recognized as public necessities by the Congress. Most of 
them are now supported largely by Government funds although re- 
maining under Smithsonian direction. At present, nearly all the 
research and exploration of the Institution is done through these 
bureaus, notably the United States National Museum, the Bureau 
of American Ethnology, and the Astrophysical Observatory. 
As stated in last year’s report, the Institution has for many years 
operated under the handicap of shortages of personnel and of ade- 
quate housing space. I reported that the Smithsonian Institution 
has today the same amount of space that it had in 1911 in which to 
accommodate four times as many visitors and four times as many 
museum specimens. Much the same condition still prevails. Some 
slight gain was apparent in personnel in a few of the scientific divi- 
sions, but not sufficient for the prompt execution of essential cura- 
torial work and adequate research on the National collections. The 
crowded condition, particularly in the buildings of the National 
Museum, remained unalleviated. In the report of the Director of 
the Museum it will be noted that there is a considerable decrease in 
number of specimens accessioned during the year, a decrease which, 
he says, “may be attributed in part to the inadequacy of available 
storage facilities for the preservation of such materials.”’ More ade- 
quate building space is one of our major needs. 
Though hampered by space conditions it should be brought to 
attention that the Smithsonian Institution continues to grow and to 
expand its usefulness year by year. In the 5 years during which I 
have served as Secretary, three additional activities have been added 
to its responsibilities—the Canal Zone Biological Area, the National 
Air Museum, and the River Basin Surveys, the latter a unit of the 
Bureau of American Ethnology. The work of these new activities 
has notably augmented Smithsonian efforts toward the increase and 
diffusion of knowledge in widely diversified fields, as will be seen in 
reading the detailed reports appended hereto. The purpose in calling 
attention to deficiencies is to emphasize the obvious fact that a growing 
