Proceedings of the Board of Regents Meeting held on May 10, 1972

In April 1972, Smithsonian leaders (and pretty much everyone else) were buzzing with excitement about the arrival of giant pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing. Smithsonian’s Board of Regents discussed all of the work and costs that went into remodeling comfortable spaces for the newcomers, but it wasn’t only the pandas who needed lots of room. Since the arrival of the bears, National Zoo attendance “increased more than 10,000 persons per day.” Join a group of volunpeers in transcribing this project which reveals discussions about how the Zoo would accommodate the influx of visitors, the “unbelievably dismal” construction progress of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and various changes in leadership around the Smithsonian.

For more information about these meeting minutes, explore the finding aid.