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-76- size of its Federal budget, yet it constitutes the absolutely crucial source of most of the Institution's adaptability to new circumstances and capacity to innovate. This is particularly true of unrestricted gifts, as can be demonstrated convincingly. Acquisition funds are a second important objective of a major campaign. Dr. Arthur Sackler has expressed an interest in helping to lay the groundwork for an endowment drive with this as its objective. His approach would almost certainly be to establish a fund that would match other contributions made for the purpose during a specified period. Approximately $1 million in Federal funding is currently allocated annually for museum acquisitions, so that the problem of a potential loss of Federal support concurrent with an endowment drive is real. But the area is probably one that is inherently attractive to a substantial group of private donors. That was certainly found to be the case in a feasibility study that was conducted prior to the capital campaign for the National Museum of African Art, which is now seeking an endowment of $5.5 million for that purpose. Furthermore, the highlighting of funding for acquisitions also announces the Smithsonian's interest in receiving additional valuable collections of various kinds. A third objective would be new, and hence needs fuller discussion. In the end, the intellectual and scientific reputation of the Smithsonian depends to an overwhelming degree on the quality of the research and curatorial staff that it is able to attract and keep. An endowment campaign directed at the funding of a relatively small number of endowed "chairs," comparable to named, distinguished professorships at major universities, could go a long way to strengthen the Institution in this respect.