completion of his sixtieth year of Federal service. He began 

 as a laborer with the Garden in 1923, at the age of sixteen, 

 and except for a three-year-and-five-month tour of duty with 

 the Army during World War II, DePilla spent his entire adult 

 life as a member of the Garden's staff. 19 



The remarks of Senator Charles McC. Mathias, Jr., Chair- 

 man of the Joint Committee on the Library, on the anniver- 

 sary of DePilla 7 s sixtieth year of Federal service preceded 

 the Senate's adoption of S. Res. 246 congratulating the 

 personable botanist for his enduring contribution. 20 



With the appointment of David T. Scheid as Executive 

 Director in July 1985, the United States Botanic Garden 

 entered a time of change. Scheid 7 s training included a 

 Master's degree from Longwood Garden's program in 

 Arboretum and Botanic Garden Management; six years as 

 Superintendent of Nemours, a restored estate in Wilming- 

 ton, Delaware; and three years as Vice President for Hor- 

 ticulture at the New York Botanical Garden. He reorganized 

 the structure of the Garden to include the Conservatory 

 Division, Production Division, Maintenance Division, Public 

 Programs Division, and Administrative Office. One of his 

 major goals was to create a garden of artistically displayed 

 botanical collections. 



CURRENT FUNCTIONS OF THE GARDEN 



Despite its various moves, the Garden has deviated little 

 during the past century and a half from the purposes set 

 forth by the congressional charter given to the Columbian 

 Institute. 21 Today, in much the same language as in the 

 original charter, the Garden is authorized to "collect, 

 cultivate, and grow the various vegetable productions of 

 this and other countries for exhibition and display to the 

 public and for study material for students, scientists, 



19 Elizabeth Mooney, He Performs Visual Magic With Plants, 

 Washington Star-News, November 3, 1974, p. D10; Diane McCormick, 

 Keeper of the Nation's Flowers, Roll Call, June 16, 1983, p. 18; and E. 

 de la Garza, Botanic Garden, Congressional Record, v. 119, November 

 13, 1973, pp. E36918-E36919. 



20 Charles McC. Mathias, Jr, Congratulating Albert T. DePilla, Con- 

 gressional Record, v. 119, October 21, 1983, pp. S 14495- S 14496. 



21 Rathbun, The Columbian Institute, p. 11. 



58 



