REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 7 



The meeting then adjourned, and the regents inspected the special 

 exhibits in the Secretary's office illustrative of some of the Institu- 

 tion's recent activities. 



FINANCES 



A statement will be found in the report of the executive committee, 

 page 81. 



MATTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST 



CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF SAMUEL PIERPONT LANGLEY 



On August 22, 1934, the Institution commemorated the one- 

 hundredth anniversary of the birth of Samuel Pierpont Langley, 

 its third Secretary, and one of the foremost American scientists of 

 the nineteenth century. On that date there was issued a pamphlet 

 consisting of extracts from Langley's own writings, in which he de- 

 scribed his important discoveries in astronomy, astrophysics, physics, 

 and aeronautics. This pamphlet reveals strikingly the value and 

 breadth of Langley's researches. To the public, his name is best 

 known in connection with his work in aeronautics, but to men of 

 science his fundamental researches in astronomy and physics are of 

 outstanding importance. The titles of some of the papers from 

 which quotations are given in the memorial pamphlet will reveal 

 the scope of his interest : " On the minute structure of the solar 

 photosphere"; "The total solar eclipse of July 29, 1878"; "The 

 bolometer and radiant energy " ; " On the amount of atmospheric 

 absorption " ; " The temperature of the moon " ; " On hitherto un- 

 recognized wave-lengths " ; " On a possible variation of the solar 

 radiation and its probable effect on terrestrial temperatures." 



A special exhibition was also arranged in the Smithsonian Build- 

 ing of scientific apparatus invented by Langley and of articles as- 

 sociated with him during his lifetime. Outstanding among his 

 inventions was the bolometer, an electrical thermometer capable of 

 detecting a change of heat as little as a millionth of a degree 

 Centigrade. 



AWARD OF LANGLET MEDAL TO JOSEPH S. AMES 



The Langley Medal for Aerodromics of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution was presented on May 21, 1935, to Dr. Joseph S. Ames, of 

 Johns Hopkins University, Chairman of the National Advisory 

 Committee for Aeronautics, and for years one of the foremost 

 figures associated with the scientific development of American 

 aviation. The presentation was made by Chief Justice Charles E. 

 Hughes, Chancellor of the Institution, in accordance with the award 

 of the Board of Regents at their annual meeting in January. The 



