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[[underlined]]Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Relation with the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory[[/underlined]]

Mr.Ripley brought to the attention of the Board of Regents a situation in Panama, where our Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) has long operated in a very close association with the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory. We have just learned that the President's veto of H.R. 8069 (the Appropriations bill for HEW) has caused the very real threat of closing this Laboratory on 1 February 1976. Although Congress has authorized a ceiling of $2 million for Gorgas which is funded through the HEW budget, the Laboratory has operated on appropriated funds of $500,000/year, plus a $350,000/year contract from HEW to run the Middle America Research Unit, until it was to become part of their own budget in Fiscal Year 1976.

Gorgas has enough money to operate through March 1976, but their close-out cost will run to $440,000. They therefore have to shut down on 1 February to keep enough funds available to pay severance pay, etc.

Gorgas has the $500,000 under the continuing resolution, but the $350,000 needed to keep Gorgas open has to come from HEW's 1976 budget. The release of this amount will have to be approved by Assistant Secretary for Health Theodore Cooper.

STRI is concerned because of the discovery of two dead howler monkeys in the Canal Zone that died from Jungle Yellow Fever. We have four months now in the coming dry season to locate the infected troop. If not found, Jungle Yellow Fever could easily spread west