Description: On September 6, 1958 President Eisenhower authorized preparation of plans for the construction of what is now the National Air and Space Museum.
Description: Just as the Smithsonian rallied around America’s wartime needs in World War I, in World War II the Smithsonian stepped up to the plate to aid the armed services as they mobilized for war. Secretary Charles G. Abbot quickly created the Smithsonian War Committee to facilitate optimizing the Institution’s resources and knowledge for the armed services. As Secretary Charles D.