Lynn continued in this capacity until his retirement twenty 

 years later. At the time of his appointment, Lynn was already 

 well acquainted with the workings of the Garden, since he 

 had been responsible for expenditures of nearly $1 million 

 in connection with the Garden's relocation. 12 



Lynn's successor, J. George Stewart, was Architect of the 

 Capitol and Acting Director of the Botanic Garden from 

 September 1954 to May 1970. 13 Following Stewart's death 

 on May 24, 1970, Mario E. Campioli served as Acting 

 Architect of the Capitol and Acting Director of the Garden 

 until the current Architect of the Capitol, George M. White, 

 was appointed by President Richard M. Nixon on January 

 27, 1971 14 After the Architect of the Capitol was appointed 

 Acting Director, the Botanic Garden's Assistant Director took 

 over the function of running the day-to-day operations of 

 the organization. 



The first Assistant Director of the Garden, Wilmer J. Paget, 

 held the position from 1914 until 1945 (serving first under 

 George W. Hess before his retirement in 1934, and then 

 under Architect of the Capitol David Lynn). Paget is 

 remembered by those who worked for him as an unusually 

 gifted and knowledgeable plantsman, particularly in the field 

 of plant taxonomy. He was well versed in a variety of hor- 

 ticultural fields and is remembered as the "brains" behind 

 the cultivation and display of plants during his tenure. Paget 

 first worked under his father, John Paget, a landscape 

 gardener, at the Pennsylvania State Hospital before moving 

 to Washington in 1901 to join the Botanic Garden staff as 

 a laborer. 15 



12 A Brief History of the United States Botanic Garden, July 20, 1934, 

 pp. 4-5; and History of the United States Botanic Garden, May 31, 1938, 

 p. 13. Botanic Garden Files, AOC. 



13 Frank A. Barrett, chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library, 

 to J. George Stewart, September 25, 1954. AOC. 



14 White actually assumed responsibility for the two positions on 

 February 11, 1971. U.S. President, 1968-1974 (Nixon), Architect of the 

 Capitol, Announcement of Appointment of George Malcolm White of 

 Ohio, January 29, 1971. Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, 

 v. 7, February 1, 1971, p. 123; Wayne L. Hayes, Chairman of the Joint Com- 

 mittee on the Library to George M. White, Architect of the Capitol, 

 February 11, May 3, June 10, July 8, 1971. 



15 Wilmer Paget: Horticulturist at Botanic Garden 41 Years, Washington 

 Evening Star, April 26, 1968, p. B4; and Wilmer Paget Dies: D.C. Hor- 

 ticulturist, Washington Post, April 26, 1960, p. B2. 



