A Twenty-First-Century Vision 



Early in his first year as Secretary, Lawrence M. Small made 

 this promise: "We pledge to be the architects of a Smithson- 

 ian that, for intellectual eloquence, emotional excitement, 

 and quality of presentation, is second to no other cultural 

 and educational enterprise in the world." 



This vision is unfolding, and the Smithsonian's impressive 

 accomplishments are shaping an institution that is truly sec- 

 ond to none. As a prelude to the achievements described in 

 this annual report, here are some examples: 



just one offering on a rich menu of exhibitions that circu- 

 late from coast to coast. 



On the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the sights, 

 sounds, and aromas of the annual Smithsonian Folklife 

 Festival attracted more than 1.2 million people. 

 Some 6.5 million schoolchildren visited the Smithsonian, 

 and more than 24,000 educators enriched their classroom 

 teaching through professional development opportunities. 



Public Impact — 



A growing, enthusiastic audience enjoyed dynamic exhi- 

 bitions: the legendary Vikings, the optical illusions of 

 Salvador Dali, the work of noted African American pho- 

 tographers, and more. The Smithsonian's museums and 

 the National Zoo logged an impressive 34 million visits. 

 By the close of the year, a captivating pair of giant pandas 

 were on their way from China to the National Zoo, and 

 "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden" at the 

 National Museum of American History, Behring Center 

 was poised to open in the wake of an unprecedented presi- 

 dential election. 



Exciting Affiliations partnerships with nearly 60 cultural 

 institutions gave the Smithsonian a vibrant presence in 23 

 states and the District of Columbia — and the number of 

 partnerships is increasing. 



In cyberspace, the Smithsonian capitalized on the enor- 

 mous potential to reach people in their homes, at their 

 leisure. The number of electronic visits to www.si.edu 

 exceeded 2 million per month. 



The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service 

 opened the blockbuster "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth," 



Research — 



• Globally acclaimed, top-caliber research in science and 

 the humanities revealed new understanding in a dazzling 

 variety of fields. 



• Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory scientists ob- 

 served galaxies 60 million light-years from Earth from 

 the orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory, which provides 

 powerful images that are transforming astronomy. They 

 also took first light readings from the refurbished multi- 

 ple-mirror relescope at the Whipple Observatory in 

 Arizona. 



• National Museum of Natural History researchers revisited 

 the question of human origins, working with colleagues 

 in China to study 800,000-year-old stone artifacts and 

 defy the notion that early humans in Asia were less intel- 

 ligent than humans in Africa. 



• At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, a scientist 

 completed a project showing the geographical and biolog- 

 ical consequences of the rise of the Isthmus of Panama. 



• Ground-breaking textile research on the Star-Spangled 

 Banner and major scientific studies by the Freer and Sack- 

 ler Galleries exemplified the Smithsonian's sterling repu- 

 tation in conservation and materials research. 



