128 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1948 
Another matter given early attention in establishing the Air Mu- 
seum was that of obtaining working quarters. These were provided 
in the West-South Range of the Arts and Industries Building of the 
National Museum and were available to the staff beginning June 15, 
1948. 
ADVISORY BOARD 
Two meetings of the Air Museum’s Advisory Board were held dur- 
ing the year, on August 19, 1947, and April 15, 1948, respectively. The 
problems of major concern to the Board this year were the acquisition 
of a storage depot for the temporary safekeeping of Air Museum ma- 
terial, and the determination of a suitable land site and building for 
the Air Museum. Both meetings of the Board centered largely on 
these two problems. 
Prior to the August meeting a careful study had been made by the 
Air Museum’s staff and by Mr. Loening, Board member, of several pro- 
posed storage depots. Asa result a recommendation was made to the 
Board at the August meeting suggesting the selection of a part of the 
Douglas aircraft plant built during World War IJ and located on the 
outskirts of Park Ridge, Ill., about 20 miles northwest of Chicago. 
After due deliberation, including consideration of the fact that aero- 
nautical museum material gathered by the United States Air Force 
for the National Air Museum was stored in this plant, the Board 
accepted the recommendation and by resolution directed that “the 
Chairman plan the operations of the National Air Museum in such a 
way that it will be prepared to take over and operate the storage facil- 
ity at Park Ridge... .” 
In considering the problem of sites and a building for the Air 
Museum (the planning of which was authorized by law establishing 
the National Air Museum) the merits and advantages of various 
locations in the Nation were fully considered at the August 1947 
Board meeting. The discussion led to the unanimous adoption of a 
resolution that “the National Air Museum should be located in Wash- 
ington, and that search be made for sites which are to be submitted 
to the Advisory Board for approval as to location and adequacy in 
size.” 
Regarding an appropriate building for the Air Museum, the Board 
discussed at length the scope of the aeronautical collections to be 
assembled, the quantity of full-size historical and irreplaceable air- 
craft that merited consideration for a place in the future building, 
and the many factors involved in the maintenance, exhibition, and 
preservation of the collection. To further the study of the building 
problem the Board at its August 1947 meeting directed the Chairman 
to enlist the aid of the Public Buildings Administration of the Federal 
