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[[underline]] Proposal by California Interests for a Smithsonian Museum in Sacramento [[/underline]]

Mr. Ripley reported that the Smithsonian has been requested by Congressman Moss (D-Cal), members of the California State Legislature and others to establish a permanent bureau of the Institution in conjunction with the California State Fair in Sacramento.  They have offered to provide in the first instance a temporary building and later a permanent building which would display changing exhibits and a variety of events which the Institution might sponsor or provide.  They have emphasized that the State of California and the Sacramento Fair are prepared to pay all costs of maintaining and operating such a building.

It should be noted that numerous similar proposals were considered by the Regents in the past such as the San Francisco Mint, the St. Louis Post Office, the Pacific Science Center and others, but all of these proposals were turned down based on the Regents resolution which stated:

"The Board of Regents believes that the growing commitments of the Smithsonian in Washington as well as the inherent difficulties involved in assuming responsibility for so remote an operation as the San Francisco Mint as a National facility, argue against our commitment to such an enterprise in any part of the country at this time."