Statement by the 

 Secretary 



I. Michael Heyman 



The following are excerpcs from the installation address of the 

 Smithsonian's tenth secretary, I. Michael Heyman, on Septem- 

 ber 19, 1994: 



Every secretarial era reflects unique circumstances and poses 

 its own opportunities and problems. At present, resources are 

 relatively short. My recent predecessors until a few years ago 

 could count on a generous Congress and Executive Branch. 

 Public fiscal prospects, however, are bleaker at this time. 

 While we must argue vigorously for special treatment, realism 

 counsels that we not depend solely on public revenues to grow 

 substantially in the near future. Realistically, we must work 

 very hard to guard against erosion of our base budget and for 

 adequate resources to fund heavy future obligations. 



This means that the Smithsonian must rely more on private 

 support from individuals and corporations. A systematic ef- 

 fort to increase private support has started very well under Sec- 

 retary Adams. We must enhance that success by working 

 closely with donor groups. And we must enlarge our connec- 

 tions with the corporate world. 



This new era also demands from public (as well as private) 

 organizations increased fiscal accountability. We must use our 

 resources efficiently and intelligently both to husband them 

 and to underscore our credibility to those who provide them — 

 the government and our donors. 



The Smithsonian resembles to me a great public university 

 with a very broadly stated mission: the increase and diffusion 

 of knowledge. Within this, we have centered on three ma|or 

 tasks. First is public education. Second is a university-like re- 

 search operation. The third task is hosting and maintaining, 

 at last count, 140 million objects. 



It is crucial that we sustain excellence in all that we do. If our 

 resource base shrinks, we must be prepared to jettison the less im- 

 portant of our activities rather than reduce all our activities pro 

 rata and thus threaten the excellence of our most important ones. 

 And we must find ways to finance needed new activities, includ- 

 ing deeper participation in the environmental debates raging in 

 this country, development of our capacity to give electronic ac- 

 cess to our collections throughout the nation, and educating all 

 of us about our origins in a way that will foster senses of pride 

 and thus counter separation and make more attainable the cre- 

 ation of one set of Americans out of many. 



I am delighted to be named the tenth secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. I look forward with pleasure to lead- 

 ing one of the great cultural and scientific institutions of the 

 United States. I urge all of you to participate deeply in our 

 I50th-year celebration through your energy, your creativity, 

 and, when the time comes, your pocketbook. 



