implications of early institutional affiliations, the ptinciples 

 of a corporate sponsorship policy, and the challenges of certain 

 exhibitions in contemporary art and American history. The 

 Regents named the Visitors' Center at the Smithsonian 

 Tropical Research Institute for STRI's first director, the late 

 Dr. Martin H. Moymhan; named an exhibition gallery in the 

 National Postal Museum for Guido Craven, president of 

 Harmers Auction SA, a leading stamp dealer, and Tito 

 Giamporcaro, a prominent philatelist; and named Cooper- 

 Hewitt, National Design Museum's Center for the Study of 

 Jewelry and Precious Metals for Joseph A. DiPalma and his 

 sister Flora DiPalma Hoffman. As the year ended, the Regents 

 considered a significant potential gift to the National 

 Museum of Natural History. 



The Regents were pleased to award Joseph Henry Medals 

 to Dr. Frederick G. Seitz, president emeritus of Rockefeller 

 University and chair of the Joint Advisory Committee of 

 Sponsoring Institutions of the Joseph Henry Papers Project, 

 and Dr. Tomas Ybarra-Frausto, chairperson of the 

 Smithsonian Council and the Latino Oversight Committee. 

 Dr. Seitz and Dr. Ybarra-Frausto were honored for their 

 significant contributions toward the Smithsonian's mandate 

 for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. 



With the assistance of their Committee on Policy, Programs, 

 and Planning, the Regents established the National Advisory 

 Board of the National Zoological Park, the National Advisory 

 Board of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the 

 Development Board of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, and 

 the Council of Philatelists of the National Postal Museum. The 

 Regents expressed great appreciation to these and the many other 

 advisory boards that assist in the oversight of the Smithsonian's 

 museums, research institutes, and major programs. 



The Board of Regents appointed the following individuals 

 to the Institution's advisory boards: Max N. Berry, Henry 

 E. Catto, Peter R. Coneway, Thomas Edward Congdon, 

 Archie W. Dunham, Richard Hunt, Robert L.James, Nan 

 Tucker McEvoy, Thomas D. Mullins, Heinz C. Prechter, 

 Carol Ann Swanson Price, David M. Silfen, Kenneth L. 

 Smith, Frank A. Weil, Anthony Welters, and Daniel W. 

 Yohannes to the Smithsonian National Board; Alison 

 Bernstein, H. P. Claussen, Dollie Ann Cole, Neil Harris, 

 Irene Hirano, Thomas W. Langfitt, Seymour L. Schwartz, 

 and Marvin D. Williams to the National Musetory Board of 

 Trustees; Joseph M. Goldenberg, Joseph E. Harris, Robert 

 Farris Thompson, and Walter E. Washington to the 

 Commission of the National Museum of African Art; 

 Kay Allaire, Harvey Krueger, Elaine La Roche, Barbara A. 

 Mandel, Richard Smith, and Edward A. Weinstein to the 

 Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Board of Trustees; 

 Cynthia Helms, Marie Lam, and Robert Tang to the Arthur 

 M. Sackler Gallery Visiting Committee; David L. Dilcher, 

 Edward O. Gaylord, Colin Patterson, and Marshall Turner to 

 the National Museum of Natural History Advisory Board; 

 Duane Champagne, George L. Cornell, Billy L. Cypress, 

 Charles Diker, Dwight Gourneau, Joann Sebastian Morris, 



and Ted Stevens to the Board of Trustees of the National 

 Museum of the American Indian; Joan Adams Mondale and 

 Roger Harrison Mudd to the Commission of the National 

 Portrait Gallery; Sylvia Ripley Addison, David Challinor, 

 Jeannine Smith Clark, Katharine C. Crittenberger, Leonard 

 C. Jaques, Barbara J. Smith, and Kevin Starr to the 

 Development Board of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries; 

 and Tomas Bjaringer, George Brett, Chan Chin Cheung, 

 Guido Craven, Enzo Diena, Tito Giamporcaro, Surajita 

 Gongvatana, Envan Haub, Tim Hirsch, John Hotchner, 

 Norman Hubbard, Azeezaly Jaffer, Alvin and Marge Kantor, 

 Frank Mandel, Arthur Morowitz, Hassan Shaida, David 

 Sundman, Donald Sundman, and Steven C. Walske to the 

 Council of Philatelists of the National Postal Museum. 



Staff Changes 



On October 4, 1996, the Smithsonian community paid 

 tribute to Mary Livingston Ripley, the late wife of Secretary 

 Emeritus S. Dillon Ripley. Mrs. Ripley was remembered for 

 her many contributions to the Smithsonian during her 

 husband's tenure, including the establishment of the 

 Smithsonian Women's Committee, the enhancement of 

 Smithsonian gardens and orchid collections, and her avid 

 work as a photographer, entomologist, and collaborator in 

 Mr. Ripley's ornithological fieldwork. The Smithsonian's 

 senior management was bolstered this year with the arrival of 

 Robert V Hanle, formerly at the University of Minnesota 

 Foundation, in the new position of executive director for 

 development. Appointed from within the Smithsonian ranks 

 were Roslyn A. Walker as director of the National Museum of 

 African Art; Nancy E. Gwinn as director of Smithsonian 

 Institution Libraries, succeeding Barbara Smith, who retired 

 this year; and James B. Conklin, replacing Arthur Lee Denny 

 as senior information officer. Several highly accomplished 

 members of the senior staff have left for other vineyards. 

 Assistant Secretary for Institutional Advancement Alice 

 Green Burnette left to pursue other opportunities on a 

 part-time basis. Marie A. Mattson, director of the Office of 

 Membership and Development, moved to a similar position 

 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after 

 receiving the Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service. 

 David L. Correll left his position as director of the 

 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center to become 

 senior scientist. As the year ended, Patrick J. Miller resigned 

 as director of the Office of Physical Plant to accept a 

 comparable post at Harvard Medical School. It is always 

 difficult to lose senior personnel who have contributed so 

 unstintingly to the advancement of Smithsonian interests. 



The compliment that other organizations pay in this 

 respect is bittersweet. But, by the same token, the Institution 

 has both acquired and nurtured from within a staff highly 

 regarded for its talent and dedication. The vitality of the 

 Smithsonian staff is central to its success, and the continued 

 strength of the Institution in this sense has never seemed 

 more assured. 



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