Viewing page 136 of 136

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

18

communication, and the Institution ultimately should be able to produce materials and programs itself.

As a spin-off, we hope that the circulation of the [[underlined]]Smithsonian[[/underlined]] magazine will rise sharply, memberships in the Associates program will increase and become even more widespread, and that the number of visitors to the Smithsonian's museums will reach even greater heights.

The Smithsonian is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary institution, with more than 3,000 staff members around the world, concerned with significant research and exhibition programs. It seems apparent that one important "ripple effect," among others, from the proposed television series, if it is well done, would be that of increasing the sense of coherence and institutional loyalty among the Smithsonian's scholars and support staff. The wider public identity of the Institution that would ensue from such a series certainly should provide a basis for greater prestige in academic and lay environments for the Smithsonian.

Over the past 125 years, the U. S. Government has invested millions of dollars in the Institution; we feel that we will be providing the people of the nation an even greater return on their investment by giving them educative entertainment through this popular medium.