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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

JAVA FARM

Mr. Fleming stated that the property appeared to be good only for real estate development. A movie firm was considering the area for another Disneyland although no formal offer of purchase had been received.

The Secretary stated that even before he came to Washington he had been approached by a scientific group from Johns Hopkins University who were much concerned to find land somewhere in the neighborhood for ecological studies. Adjacent to the Java Farm is a parcel of land belonging to an elderly lady, believed to comprise about 600 acres, that she has indicated she might give to Johns Hopkins.

If the University had her land plus the Smithsonian’s Java Farm, the area would represent the largest undisturbed natural habitat on the western side of Chesapeake Bay and would be accessible to Washington. The elderly lady is worried about Java Farm. If it should go to some other people she would immediately sell to a developer. If there is a chance of the Smithsonian Institution's keeping it she would give her property to Johns Hopkins. A committee within the Smithsonian has been appointed and favors holding the land for joint purposes with John Hopkins. The situation is made more attractive by the fact that the National Institutes of Health have a proposal within their organization for a $600,000 building and study center, but they have only a small parcel of land near Poolesville, Maryland. They would be much interested for efficiency’s sake in combining with other institutions, perhaps Johns Hopkins University and the Smithsonian Institution, to make one study center for ecological and behavioral research.

Senator Saltonstall inquired if the Regents would be justified in retaining the Java Farm property for such a purpose. Mr. Fleming assured him there were no restrictions on the bequest. The Secretary stated it was definitely with [[within]] the Smithsonian’s purview -