16 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



The communications on the subject being referred to the Institution 

 by the Department of State, I informed the Department that the Insti- 

 tution woukl undertake the task of collecting' this information, though 

 I stated at the same time that the ultimate success would depend on 

 the willingness which museums and private individuals exhibited in 

 cooperating. 



I have entered into communication with the custodians of all collec- 

 tions known to me, and have thus far received some useful iuformation. 



At the request of Dr. D. 0. Gilman, president of the American Ori- 

 ental Society, a communication on the subject was presented to the 

 society at its meeting in April, 1897, and the society appointed a com- 

 mittee of five to cooperate with the Institution in securing the desired 

 information. 



Congress of Orientalists. — On April 27, 1897, Dr. Paul Haupt, of 

 Johns Hopkins University, was appointed to represent the Smithsonian 

 Institution at the CoDgress of Orientalists at Paris in September of 

 this year. 



NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The most notable occurrence of the year affecting the National 

 Museum was the death of Dr. G. Brown Goode, the assistant secretary 

 in its charge, which occurred on September 6, 1896. I alluded brieily 

 to this sad event in my last report, which had not gone to press at the 

 time of Dr. Goode's death. 



When 22 years of age Dr. Goode became associated with the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, and soon afterwards was designated by Professor 

 Baird to prepare the Government natural history exhibit for the Cen- 

 tennial Exhibition of 1876. This work involved severe labor, and 

 almost unaided he unpacked and assorted the large accumulations of 

 material which had been stored away in the basements of the Smith- 

 sonian building. His work was entirely satisfactory, but the strain to 

 which he was subjected in accomplishing it told severely on his strength, 

 and it became necessary for him to go to Bermuda to regain his health. 

 In 1881 the National Museum building was completed and Dr. Goode 

 was appointed assistant director. In 1887 he was appointed assistant 

 secretary of the Institution in charge of the National Museum, which 

 position he held at the time of his death. 



There are many sides from which to view the character and work of 

 this remarkable man. His talents and the careful scientific training 

 which he had received, gave him a very prominent place as a zoologist, 

 but as a museum administrator he was perhaps skilled above all 

 others. Personally I had absolute confidence in him, and the relations 

 which obtained between us were those of the most intimate trust, 

 while those which in turn existed between him and his subordinates 

 were of the most fortunate kind. 



I have in a special memoir spoken at some length of Dr. Goode's life 



