EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 21 



LANGLEY MEDAL. 



In memory of the late Secretary Samuel Pierpont Langley and 

 his contributions to the science of aerodromics, the Board of Regents 

 of the Smithsonian Institution on December 15, 1908, established 

 the Langley medal, " to be awarded for specially meritorious inves- 

 tigations in connection with the science of aerodromics and its appli- 

 cation to aviation." The first award of the medal was voted by the 

 Board of Eegents on February 10, 1909, to Wilbur and Orville 

 Wright " for advancing the science of aerodromics in its application 

 to aviation by their successful investigations and demonstrations 

 of the practicability of mechanical flight by man." The medal was 

 presented to each of the brothers Wright at a meeting of the board on 

 February 10, 1910. 



The second award of the medal was voted on February 13, 1913, 

 to Mr. Glenn H. Curtiss " for advancing the art of aerodromics by 

 his successful development of a hydroaerodrome whereby the safety 

 of the aviator has been greatly enhanced," and to Monsieur Gustave 

 Eiffel " for advancing the science of aerodromics by his researches 

 relating to the resistance of the air in connection with aviation." 

 The presentation of these medals was made on May 6, 1913. This 

 date was selected in order that the ceremonies incident to the presen- 

 tation might take place in connection with the observance of " Lang- 

 ley Day," which was established by the Aero Club of Washington in 

 1911, to commemorate the achievement by Mr. Langley on May 6, 

 1896, of mechanical flight by a heavier-than-air machine propelled 

 by its own power. On May 6, 1911, and again on May 6, 1912, there 

 were exhibition flights of biplanes and monoplanes near AVashington. 

 On the afternoon of May 6, 1913, the celebration by the club occurred 

 at the Army War College immediately after the exercises in the 

 Smithsonian building, and consisted of a reception by the Aero Club, 

 followed by hj^droaeroplane, biplane, and monoplane maneuvers. 



The presentation exercises in the Smithsonian building preceded 

 the unveiling of the Langley memorial tablet and included addresses 

 by Dr. Alexander Graham Bell in presenting the medals, and accept- 

 ances by Ambassador Jusserand in behalf of M. Eiffel, and by Mr. 

 Glenn H. Curtiss. 



In the course of his address M. Jusserand said : 



We have seen France and America vie with each other not only in the con- 

 quest of better, greater, and safer liberty from year to year, but also in the 

 producing of more and more momentous inventions, improving the plane of life 

 of the many, reaching less faulty solutions of the great social problems. 



Nothing more striking has taken place on these lines than in what concerns 

 the conquest of the air. It is surely appropriate to remember that one of the 

 very first flights ever attempted took place in Versailles, when one of the 

 earliest baloons rose a fortnight after the treaty definitely securing your inde- 

 pendence had been signed there in 1783. And you all know that Franklin, when 



