Report of the 

 Under Secretary 



Constance Berry Newman 



On Saturday evening, August IO, glittering fireworks lit the 

 sky above the Castle in a spectacular finale to the first day of 

 the Smithsonian's 150th birthday celebration. An elaborate 

 display like this one always makes spectators wonder in 

 amazement: How did they do it? The same question could be 

 asked about the ambitious Institution-wide enterprise chat 

 led up to the 150th anniversary: How did we do it? 



Planning and presenting the year's programs and events 

 was an intense and energetic collaborative effort that brought 

 out the best in the Smithsonian. As we celebrated the richness 

 of our contributions to the nation, we also paid tribute to our 

 internal richness: the wealth of professions, ideas, experience, 

 and knowledge that distinguishes this diverse institution. 

 Talented and creative employees from every corner of the 

 Smithsonian, working on demanding schedules, brought their 

 individual strengths to the complex tasks of organizing 

 "America's Smithsonian," producing the two-day birthday 

 celebration on the National Mall August 10 and II, and 

 planning a variety of other events. 



Looking beyond the Smithsonian, we also celebrated our 

 partnerships with corporations, foundations, communities, 

 and individuals throughout the nation who are committed to 

 helping us increase the American public's sense of ownership 

 and participation in the Institution. Funding from the four 

 members of our 150th Anniversary Corporate Partner 

 Program — Discover® Card, Intel Corporation, MCI 

 Communications Corporation, and Trans World Airlines, 

 Inc. — supported the exhibition "Americas Smithsonian," the 

 prime-time specials and "Smithsonian Minutes" on the CBS 

 Television Network, and the public Birthday Party on the 

 Mall. In Los Angeles, Kansas City, New York, and 

 Providence, our partnerships with local governments and 



community organizations helped us bring "America's 

 Smithsonian" to more than a million people. 



The imposing task of coordinating our Institution-wide 

 anniversary celebration belonged to the 150th Anniversary 

 Coordinating Committee, chaired by Marc Pachter, counselor 

 to the Secretary. Building on a planning process that they 

 began in late 1991, this group and its working committees on 

 marketing, program, and community guided the many 

 aspects of the celebration as it unfolded during the year. 



For two highlights of the 150th anniversary — the 

 exhibition "America's Smithsonian" and the August IO and II 

 Birthday Party — units of the Under Secretary's office were 

 significant team members. These organizations also joined in 

 many other collaborative efforts throughout the year. 

 Together they expanded the Institution's public visibility, 

 developed publications and multimedia productions, 

 presented public programs, provided behind-the-scenes 

 expertise and services, and created a successful merchandising 

 program. 



' ' A merica 's S mithsonia n ' ' 



The nation's "firsts and finests" were the words the 

 Providence Sunday Journal chose to describe the extraordinary 

 objects from the Smithsonian's collections touring the nation 

 in "America's Smithsonian." The largest traveling exhibition 

 ever organized by a museum, it opened February 9 in Los 

 Angeles and continued to Kansas City, Missouri (April 

 10-May 19), New York City (June 11— July 24), and 

 Providence, Rhode Island (August 21-September 19). Other 

 cities on the itinerary before the objects return to the 



