Report of the President *>? 



exhibit of the Horticultural Society was one of remarkable 

 beauty, and falling on a pleasant Sunday, was largely the 

 reason for the visit of 25,000 people. 



It is pleasant to record the continued use of the lecture 

 halls and the growing recognition of the Museum as a scien- 

 tific center. It is to be hoped that it may be possible to 

 make some desirable improvements that will add to the 

 comfort and better accommodation of our guests. 



Care of the Building. — A matter of great and ever in- 

 creasing importance is the care of the building with its acres 

 of floor, roof and glass, and miles of steam piping and electric 

 wiring. The first section of the Museum was erected thirty- 

 five years ago; the last was finished in 1908. In a climate 

 like that of New York, subject to the extremes of heat and 

 cold, all exterior work deteriorates rapidly and needs con- 

 tinued care, while the interior needs constant repairs and 

 repainting. 



Practically all the steam-pipes in the first section should 

 be replaced, and such progress has been made in the matter 

 of lighting that little of the present system is up to date and 

 much of it is antiquated. 



All this is mentioned not to complain but to explain; to 

 place before the Trustees and the City the wants of this insti- 

 tution and to complement the words of the President regarding 

 the need of a large endowment fund. A great museum is no 

 longer looked upon as a luxury and for the benefit of a few 

 individuals; it is an educational necessity, the people's univer- 

 sity, open to all from the youngest to the oldest. Stanford 

 University has an endowment of about $25,000,000. It has 

 an attendance of about 1,600 students. This Museum has an 

 endowment of $2,367,716, and for the last five years has had 

 an annual attendance of over half a million. 



It is not that friends have not been generous and the City 

 Government liberal to the Museum, but simply that owing to 

 circumstances our needs have outdistanced our funds. 



