Helena Weiss, who retired in 1971. 



With expansion of the Smithsonian in the 1960s, the 

 work of the registrar also expanded, and the office 

 moved back to the old building, where there was more 

 space. Finally, in 1976, accessioning and record-keeping 

 were decentralized and the National Museum of Nat- 

 ural History gained its own registrar. The office was a 

 rickety wooden balcony built into the shipping room. 

 The files were one floor down and a hundred feet away. 

 Later, the files were moved farther away; then the office 

 was moved to where the files had been transferred, but 

 the files moved again. In 1980, when this original area 

 near the loading dock was decked over to make more 

 space, the registrar thought that a ribbon-cutting cer- 

 emony was in order. 



Because turnover of the scientific staff is low, there 

 is little prospect of major changes for blacks, women, 

 or other minorities in the next decade, unless there is 

 a substantial increase in the professional staff. The his- 

 torical record is not one to be particularly proud of, 

 but efforts are being made to right the balance. In 1980 

 Secretary Ripley called for "fresh attitudes and stronger 

 programs . . . against discrimination . . . whether in- 

 tentional or not." He continued, "1 am deeply con- 

 cerned about this serious prol)lem. An end to discrim- 

 ination in all aspects ot our affairs is a fundamental 

 responsibility of the old and honored institution."" 



Matters of Dress 



In smaller matters such as dress and style the scientific 

 staff is more difficult to characterize. In the 195()s most 

 people wore neckties and jackets to work; in the 1980s 

 most do not. 1 he change has been gradual, although 

 the appearance of Dennis Stanford, who joined the 

 Department of Anthropolog\ in 1972, was still attract- 

 ing attention in 1977: "Dr. Stanford wears pearl-button 

 cowboy shirts that may or may not be buttoned down. 

 You can't tell because that part goes under the beard. 

 He doesn't wear a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches. 

 He wears faded denims. He doesn't smoke a pipe. He 

 tucks a bit of snuff under his lip."'^ The best word for 

 the dress code at the Museum today is casual. About 

 the only three-piece suits left in the place are on the 

 repairmen for the copving machines. 



An Assortment of "Characters" 



In 1980 Henrv Collins, then long-retired, commented 

 wistfully that the staff did not contain the number of 

 "characters" it once did. Certainly the Museum has seen 

 its share of eccentrics, eccentric behavior, and practical 

 jokes, many involving stuffed kangaroos, gorillas, or 

 what have you. On publishing a scientific paper, Hrdlicka 

 would have his palm read to see how his latest work 

 would be accepted by his colleagues. Evans once crammed 

 the office of the archeologist Gus Van Beek so full of 

 boxes that the door could not be opened; Evans left by 

 way of the outside window ledge. Kier wrote a memo 



Bee, Heteranthidium bequarti. Carbon dust on 00 Ross 

 board (Elaine R. S. Hodges, staff artist 196 5 -present). 



Fossil skull, Meniscotherium chamense. Graphite pencil 

 on Bristol board (Lawrence B. Isham, staff artist 1953- 

 1983). 



142 



The Museum 



