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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION    1294

Chairman, Paul Manship
Vice-Chairman, Robert Woods Bliss
Secretary, Alexander Wetmore

Executive Committee:

David E. Finley
Robert Woods Bliss
Gilmore D. Clarke
Paul Manship, ex officio
Alexander Wetmore, ex officio

STATEMENT ON RECENT ACTIVITIES

After negotiations that have been underway since the death of Orville Wright, in February 1948, the original Wright airplane was returned to this country and presented to the National Museum at a ceremony on December 17 last, the 45th anniversary of the original flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.  The Chancellor presided at this ceremony, where the speakers included Sir Oliver Franks, his Britannic Majesty's Ambassador, Mr. Milton Wright, on behalf of the Wright heirs, and Regent Alben W. Barkley.  Communications were presented on behalf of The President and of General H. H. Arnold.  Presentation was made before a distinguished company of 800 guests assembled in the north hall of the Arts and Industries Building, where the plane is on permanent exhibition.

On November 1, 1948, the National Air Museum took over administration of a storage facility of aeronautical materials assembled by the Air Forces in a former Douglas Bomber plant at Orchard Place Airport, Park Ridge, Illinois, this being a storage depot for various federal agencies, the Air Museum occupying 267,475 square feet.

Two meetings of the Air Museum Advisory Board have been held in the past six months relative to plans and sites for the proposed Air Museum.  Full report

A.W.