Smithsonian Institution Archives

Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution

Record Unit 89
United States National Museum,
Office of the Director,
Records,
1925-1963 and undated

By William Cox


Historical Note

Descriptive Entry

Series Descriptions

  Series 1. BUDGET FILES, 1949-1959. ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY.

  Series 2. SMITHSONIAN RESEARCH SUBCOMMITTEE, RESEARCH REPORTS, 1948-1962. ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY.

  Series 3. FUNDS AND BEQUESTS FILE, 1926-1957 AND UNDATED. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

  Series 4. ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1925-1963 AND UNDATED. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.



HISTORICAL NOTE

A. Remington Kellogg (1892-1969) was Director of the United States National Museum (USNM), 1948-1962. He also served as Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1958-1962. Prior to his appointment as Director, Kellogg had served as Assistant Curator and Curator in the Division of Mammals, USNM, beginning in 1928.


DESCRIPTIVE ENTRY

This record unit consists primarily of files created by Kellogg during his tenure as Director of the United States National Museum, 1948-1962. It includes smaller amounts of records kept by Kellogg as Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1958-1962, and as Assistant Curator and Curator in the Division of Mammals, USNM, 1928-1948. The record unit also contains files created by other Smithsonian and USNM officials, including Alexander Wetmore, Kellogg's predecessor as Chief Administrative Officer of the Museum, 1925-1948; Frank A. Taylor, Assistant Director of the USNM; and Albert C. Smith, Director of the National Museum of Natural History. The records deal with Smithsonian and USNM administration and include budget files, 1949-1959, documenting fiscal development of the Smithsonian and its various bureaus, especially the USNM; reports on staff research submitted to the Smithsonian's Research Subcommittee, 1948-1962; a file concerning Smithsonian research funds and bequests made to the Institution, 1926-1957; and administrative files, 1925-1963, which document planning and development of the National Museum of History and Technology and occupancy planning for the east and west wings of the Natural History Building.

For other records relating to Kellogg's service as Director of the United States National Museum see record units 88 and 155.


SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

SERIES 1.
BUDGET FILES, 1949-1959. ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY.

This series documents budget development of the Smithsonian Institution and its various bureaus, particularly the United States National Museum. It includes the Smithsonian budget and justification; the budget for the renovation of exhibits in the USNM; the budget for the maintenance and operation of buildings; and the budget for rehabilitation projects. Included are photographs, especially of buildings and exhibits, used to justify requested appropriations. The material appears to be Kellogg's working files on the budget; most copies are annotated. Of special interest are materials documenting the initial budget development for the National Museum of History and Technology.

Box 1 of 16
Folders1-4   Budget, 1949-1952

Box 2 of 16
Folders1-4   Budget, 1953-1955

Box 3 of 16
Folders1-4   Budget, 1955-1957

Box 4 of 16
Folders1-4   Budget, 1957-1959

SERIES 2.
SMITHSONIAN RESEARCH SUBCOMMITTEE, RESEARCH REPORTS, 1948-1962. ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY.

Each bureau of the Smithsonian Institution was required to submit a yearly report on staff research to the Research Subcommittee, a part of the Institution's Planning Committee. A. Remington Kellogg served as Chairman of the Research Subcommittee from 1948 to 1962. This series consists of reports submitted to the Research Subcommittee during Kellogg's chairmanship. Bureaus represented by reports include the United States National Museum (after 1957, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of History and Technology); the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; the Bureau of American Ethnology, including the River Basin Surveys; the Freer Gallery of Art; the National Air Museum; the National Collection of Fine Arts; the Division of Radiation and Organisms; the National Zoological Park; and the Canal Zone Biological Area.

Box 5 of 16
Folders1-7   Research reports, 1948-1955

Box 6 of 16
Folders1-3   Research reports, 1956-1958

Box 7 of 16
Folders1-4   Research reports, 1959-1960

Box 8 of 16
Folders1-4   Research reports, 1961-1962

SERIES 3.
FUNDS AND BEQUESTS FILE, 1926-1957 AND UNDATED. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

This series consists of records documenting Smithsonian research funds and bequests made to the Institution. Although the file was maintained by Kellogg, many of the records were created by his predecessor, Alexander Wetmore in his capacity as Assistant Secretary in charge of the United States National Museum.

Box 9 of 16
Folder1   William Louis Abbott Fund, 1952-1954
Folder2   Walter Rathbone Bacon Traveling Scholarship, 1935, 1939, 1953-1955
Folder3   Spencer Fullerton Baird Fund, undated
Folder4   Frederick A. Canfield Fund and Collection, 1926-1928, 1952-1956
Folder5   Laura Welsh Casey Fund, 1957
Folder6   Frances Lea Chamberlain Fund, 1951, 1953
Folder7   Joseph A. Cushman Fund, 1950
Folder8   Charles W. Dahlgreen Fund, 1949
Folder9   Florence Brevoort Eickemeyer Bequest, undated
Folder10   Virgil Hillyer Fund, 1935
Folder11   Ales Hrdlicka Fund, 1945, 1954
Folder12   Bruce Hughes Fund, 1930, 1939, 1942, 1953
Folder13   Annette E. and Edith C. Long Fund, 1945
Folder14   Alfred Duane Pell Fund, 1957
Folder15   Richard Rathbun Fund, 1943-1944
Folder16   Washington A. Roebling Fund and Collection, 1926-1927, 1953-1954
Folder17   Charles Torrey Simpson Fund, 1926-1928, 1939
Folder18   Southwest Archeological Fund, 1949, 1953
Folder19   Frank Springer Fund, 1926-1936
Folder20   Charles D. and Mary Vaux Walcott Fund, 1952

SERIES 4.
ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1925-1963 AND UNDATED. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

This series consists of records concerning Smithsonian and United States National Museum (USNM) administration. Most of the records were created by Kellogg during his service as Director of the USNM, 1948-1962. A few records were created while Kellogg served as Assistant Curator and Curator in the Division of Mammals, USNM, 1940-1948. Also included are records of other Smithsonian and USNM staff, including Alexander Wetmore, Assistant Secretary in charge of the USNM; Frank A. Taylor, Assistant Director of the USNM; and Albert C. Smith, Director of the National Museum of Natural History. Of special interest are records documenting the planning and development of the National Museum of History and Technology; occupancy planning for the east and west wings of the Natural History Building; the Smithsonian Management Improvement Program; and war emergency evacuation planning at the USNM.

Box 9 of 16
Folders21-22   Allotments and Expenditures, USNM, 1951-1952
Folder23   American Type Culture Collection, 1954
Folder24   Appropriations reduction for Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Bureau of American Ethnology, 1950. Includes correspondence of John Enos Graf
Folder25   Canal Zone Biological Area (CZBA): General correspondence, 1945-1958. Correspondence prior to 1948 was created by Kellogg as Curator of Mammals, USNM
Folder26   CZBA: Adela Gomez, 1956-1958
Folder27   CZBA: Charles O. Handley, Jr., Panamanian mammal list, 1957

Box 10 of 16
Folder1   Canal Zone Biological Area (CZBA): Carl B. Koford, 1955-1957
Folder2   CZBA: Carl B. Koford, "Checklist of Mammals of Barro Colorado Island," 1957
Folder3   CZBA: Martin Humphrey Moynihan, 1957-1958
Folder4   CZBA: Cleveland C. Soper, 1954-1957
Folder5   CZBA: James Zetek, 1954-1956
Folder6   CZBA: Annual Reports, 1947-1953
Folder7   CZBA: Maps of Barro Colorado Island
Folder8   CZBA: Photographs taken by Alexander Wetmore, 1958
Folder9   CZBA: Publications
Folder10   CZBA: Miscellaneous
Folder11   Committee on Future Policies of the Smithsonian Institution, 1947
Folder12   Curator's Trip Reports, 1957-1958
Folder13   Division of Radiation and Organisms, 1958
Folder14   Divisional Functions, USNM, 1949

Box 11 of 16
Folder1   Expedition Outfits, 1948
Folder2   Flora of the Philippine Islands, 1925-1926. File of Alexander Wetmore as Assistant Secretary, in charge of the USNM
Folder3   Galapagos Island Laboratory Equipment, 1949-1953, 1959, 1962
Folder4   Guns Loaned for Collecting Work, 1952
Folder5   Highlights and Accomplishments, USNM, 1948
Folder6   Highlights and Accomplishments, USNM, 1951
Folder7   Information Workload, USNM, 1948-1949
Folder8   Interdepartmental Committee on Scientific Research and Development, 1956-1958
Folder9   International Education Board, 1926-1927. File of Alexander Wetmore as Assistant Secretary, in charge of the USNM
Folder10   Johnson-Smithsonian Expedition, 1933. Equipment, 1954

Box 12 of 16
Folder1   Justifications for Scientific Work, USNM, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1959
Folder2   Museums in Wartime, undated
Folder3   National Air Museum, 1948-1951, 1958
Folder4   National Museum - Proposed Building, North Foyer, July 1, 1935 (Accession 07-199)
Folders5-6   National Museum of History and Technology (NMHT), 1952-1956 and undated. Concerns planning and development of NMHT
Folder7   NMHT: Exhibit Planning, 1955-1957. Consists of Memoranda between John C. Ewers and Frank A. Taylor, Assistant Director, USNM concerning NMHT exhibit planning
Folder8   National Research Council: Committee on Insect and Rodent Control, 1949
Folder9   National Zoological Park, 1957-1958. Includes newspaper clippings regarding lion mauling of child at NZP, 1958

Box 13 of 16
Folder1   Natural History Building (NHB): Rotunda. Includes photographs
Folders2-7   NHB: Wings, 1949-1950, 1953, 1956-1963. Files after 1958 were created primarily by Albert C. Smith, Director of the National Museum of Natural History. The files document planning for space usage in the east and west wings, NHB. The files include correspondence and memoranda, plans, drawings, specifications, and statistics.

Box 14 of 16
Folder1   Philadelphia Highboy Restoration, 1952. Includes correspondence of C. Malcolm Watkins
Folders2-4   Plan of Operations, 1949-1951
Folder5   Proposed National Museum of Engineering and Industry, 1948-1950
Folder6   Radiographic Research Laboratory Proposal, 1949
Folder7   Research Grants: Cartwright - Kuntz
Folder8   Research Grants: Loebich - Setzer
Folder9   Research Grants: Smith - Watkins

Box 15 of 16
Folder1   Roosevelt African Expedition Collections, 1925-1927. File of Alexander Wetmore as Assistant Secretary in charge of the USNM. Includes letter from W. E. Clyde Todd to Charles Wallace Richmond, 5 May 1927.
Folder2   Scientific Societies: Meetings Held in USNM, 1948.
Folder3   Services Rendered to the Armed Forces by the USNM, 1951
Folder4   Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory: Satellite Tracking Program, 1956-1958
Folders5-8   Smithsonian Management Improvement Program, Annual Reports, 1950-1953

Box 16 of 16
Folders1-2   Smithsonian Management Improvement Program, Curators Reports, 1953-1954
Folder3   Space Requirements, 1949-1952
Folder4   Uncatalogued Specimen Backlog, 1947-1950
Folder5   Use of Auditorium, USNM, 1948
Folders6-7   War Emergency Evacuation Planning, 1951-1955 and undated
Folder8   Wright Brothers Aeroplane, 1948-1949


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