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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

December 18, 1967

Miss Clara Mayer
41 East 72nd Street
New York City, New York

Dear Miss Mayer:

I was delighted to hear from Peter Powers and Charles Blitzer of their meeting with you, Mr. Brenner, and Mr. Korn last month. Since I share your deep concern for the preservation of our country's cultural heritage, and since I feel that the Smithsonian Institution bears a special responsibility in this area, I very much hope that it will be possible for us to accept your most generous offer of your house. 

Formal action on matters of this importance must be taken by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian, which meets on January 25, next. With your consent, I should like to propose the following arrangements to the Regents at that meeting:

1. The owner of the property at 41 East 72nd Street, New York City, will transfer it and such furnishings as may be appropiate, to the Smithsonian Institution, in fee simple, as soon as practicable; 

2. At the same time, $100,000 will be given to the Smithsonian as an endowment for the maintenance of the property; 

3. Miss Mayer will continue to occupy the house for as long as she wishes under the terms of a $1.00 lease from the Smithsonian which will provide that she will pay all costs of upkeep, maintenance, repairs, taxes, insurance, etc. , during the term of such occupancy: 

4. Upon taking possession of the property, the Smithsonian Institution will accept all responsibility for maintaining it and will undertake to preserve the first and second floors in substantially their present style and condition as examples of turn-of-the-century architecture and decoration and will use them for museum purposes; 

5. If for any reason during a period of 30 years from transfer of title the Smithsonian Institution determines that it is not feasible to fulfill the condition described in 4 above, the present owner or her designee shall have the right to purchase the property from the Smithsonian at an agreed value to be established by an appraisal to be made at the time of the gift. If this should occur, the endowment fund will remain the property of the Smithsonian Institution to be used for purposes consistent with the spirit of the original gift.