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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION   1620

VOTED that the Board of Regents agrees to having the Secretary serve on "The President's Advisory Council on the Arts," if such a Council should be appointed by the President.

NATIONAL CULTURAL CENTER

The Secretary outlined the critical situation in regard to the future of the National Cultural Center.  He stated that if the Board of Regents does not find that sufficient funds to construct the National Cultural Center have been received by the Trustees of the National Cultural Center by September 2, 1963, the National Cultural Center will terminate on that date unless legislation is enacted before that date to amend Section 7(a) of the present law.

The members had previously been sent letters from Mr. Roger L. Stevens, Chairman of the National Cultural Center, and Mr. Ralph E. Becker, its General Counsel, in which the Regents had been requested to advise as to their interpretation of the provision of Section 7(a) of the National Cultural Center Act.  This is the section which provides a terminal date of September 2, 1963.

After discussion centered on the difficulty of money raising and on the use of funds already received, on motion by Dr. Greenewalt, seconded by Senator Saltonstall, and carried it was

VOTED that in respect to the letter from the Chairman of the National Cultural Center, the Board of Regents cannot find that sufficient funds to construct the Center have been received by the Trustees of the Center, but that in view of the very substantial progress that has been made it would support a legislative proposal of the Trustees to extend the existing five-year period.

SUGGESTION OF TRIP BY REGENTS TO EUROPEAN MUSEUMS

Mr. Bow explained that the idea of a trip by the Regents to European museums originated with the suggestion of Assistant Secretary Battle that it would be desirable to have the Regents meet with their counterparts from other countries as a part of the cultural exchange effort.  Dr. Greenewalt raised the question as to the cost of such a trip. It was agreed that the Secretary would explore the matter and report at a later meeting.