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He said it is an art museum, a humanistic museum, an interdisciplinary pedagogical institution, a prototype project, a resource center, a higher education facility, an adjunct to diplomacy, a center utilized frequently by Members of Congress and their staffs to inform their own constituencies, an historic house with a living museum, and an instrument for press and media education.  He feels that breaking up this particular kind of complex at the moment would be very difficult.

Mrs. Boggs continued by quoting the following from Mr. Robbins' letter:

"The alternative I would suggest would be that the time and energy saved by the Smithsonian's assumption of the Museum's basic operating costs, be utilized by me and the members of our Board to raise funds and eventually an endowment for the maintenance of the properties in question. . . . A last point, concerning the long range:  we certainly recognize the inevitability of having the entire Museum incorporated physically into any new Smithsonian Museum complex that might be created (i.e.  Museum of Man)."

Mrs. Boggs feels that the Smithsonian has some negotiating to do with Mr. Robbins and his Board of Trustees.

The Chancellor suggested that the subject be remanded to the Committee to continue its discussions with the Museum of African Art, since the receipt of the letter of May 11 from Mr. Robbins introduced a new element to the Board which must be considered by the Committee.