The Board of Regents 79 



Patent Office and called "The National Cabinet of Curiosi- 

 ties," without financial provision for its maintenance. 



Reviewing the history of fifty years, one cannot fail to be 

 impressed with the belief that Congress acted with great wis- 

 dom in determining the character of the corporation to which 

 it intrusted the affairs of the Institution. It was at first pro- 

 posed that the Directors of the Institution should be citizens, 

 selected like those of private institutions, without reference to 

 official connection with the orovernment durin^: their time of 

 service. The plan finally adopted brought the Smithsonian 

 Institution into much closer relationship with the govern- 

 ment, securing for it the administrative supervision of a body 

 of men the majority of whom have always been thoroughly 

 representative members of the executive and legislative 

 branches of the government ; men in the prime of their vigor 

 and trained to the highest administrative responsibilities. To 

 be a Regent of the Institution has always been regarded as a 

 high honor, and those who have held this position, as mem- 

 bers of the Senate and House of Representatives, have been, 

 without exception, eminent for scholarship and general cul- 

 ture, as well as in statesmanship. The citizen members of 

 the Board associated with them have been equally eminent 

 in the fields of scientific, literary, and educational work. 



Being residents of Washington during their terms of ser- 

 vice, the majority of this group of wise and experienced ad- 

 ministrators had the opportunity of acquiring familiarity witli 

 the activities of the Institution from day to day, and have, 

 without special effort, controlled and regulated all its work. 

 Familiar with affairs, able to feel, almost unconsciously, the 

 workings of manifold interests simultaneously in operation, in 

 constant communication with the executive officers of the Es- 

 tablishment, the supervision which they have exercised has 

 been of the most wholesome and effective character. 



