[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 1, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E472-E473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


URGING SUPPORT FOR H.R. 1079, THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION COMMEMORATIVE 
                                COIN ACT

                                 ______


                         HON. NORMAN Y. MINETA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 1995
  Mr. MINETA. Mr. Speaker, yesterday--along with our colleagues, Mr. 
Livingston of Louisiana and Mr. Johnson of Texas--I introduced H.R. 
1079, the Smithsonian Institution Sesquicentennial Commemorative Coin 
Act. Mr. Livingston, Mr. Johnson, and I are privileged to serve as 
members of the Smithsonian's Board of Regents and to be involved in the 
planning process for the Institution's 150th anniversary celebration, 
which will take place next year.
  Created as a Federal trusteeship by act of Congress, the Smithsonian 
Institution is today the largest research and museum complex in the 
world. The various museums of the Smithsonian were visited more than 25 
million times last year while thousands more utilized the vast 
repository of knowledge and artifacts to assist in myriad research and 
scholarly activities.
  As a preeminent national cultural institution, the Smithsonian is 
charged with preserving and interpreting human culture and the physical 
and biological worlds through conservation of the national collections 
that represent our cultural heritage, active presentation of 
exhibitions and public programs, and scholarship in the arts, science, 
and history.


                       establishment and history

  James Smithson, 1765-1829, a British scientist who never visited the 
United States, drew up his will in 1826 naming his nephew, Henry James 
Hungerford, as beneficiary. Smithson stipulated that should the nephew 
die without heirs--as he did in 1835--the estate would go to the United 
States to found ``at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian 
Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of 
knowledge among men.''
  On July 1, 1836, Congress accepted the legacy bequeathed to the 
Nation by James Smithson and pledged the faith of the United States to 
the charitable trust. In 1838, following approval of the bequest by the 
British courts, the United States received Smithson's estate--105 bags 
of gold sovereigns, then the equivalent of $515,169. On August 10, 
1846, an act of Congress signed by President James K. Polk established 
the Smithsonian Institution in its present form and provided for the 
administration of the trust, independent of the Government itself, by a 
Board of Regents and the Secretary of the Institution. The Board
 of Regents is comprised of the Vice President of the United States, 
the Chief Justice of the United States, three Members of the Senate, 
three Members of the House of Representatives, and nine citizen members 
appointed by a joint resolution to Congress.


             size and scope of the smithsonian collections

  From that initial bequest an open-ended mandate of James Smithson, 
the Smithsonian has grown to include 14 museums, the National 
Zoological Park, and research facilities located in 8 States and the 
Republic of Panama.
  The total number of objects, works of art, and specimens at the 
Smithsonian is estimated at 140 million, most of which are in the 
National Museum of Natural History--about 120 million specimens. 
Another significant portion of the Institution's collections is the 
National Postal Museum's philatelic collection which comprises more 
than 16 million objects.
  Many artifacts are donated to the Smithsonian by individuals, private 
collectors, and Federal agencies; others come to the collections 
through field expeditions, bequests, exchanges with other museums and 
organizations, and purchases. More than 480,000 objects and specimens 
were acquired to 1993.
  Artifacts not on display are stored in collection study areas in the 
museums and are either loaned to other museums or used for research. 
Air and spacecraft are conserved and stored in the Paul E. Garber 
Facility in Suitland, MD, about 6 miles from the National Mall. 
Suitland is also home to the Smithsonian's Museum Support Center which 
houses research collections and will also be the site of the National 
Museum of the American Indian's research collections center.


                    the sesquicentennial anniversary

  The Smithsonian's sesquicentennial commemoration in 1996 provides the 
opportunity to both celebrate the past great accomplishments of the 
Institution while also looking to its future role and mission as it 
prepares for the next millennium. The central goal of the 150th 
anniversary year commemoration, however, will be to increase the sense 
of ownership and participation in the Smithsonian by all Americans. The 
Smithsonian is truly an institution of the people as the Nation's 
designated steward for the preservation and exhibition of the national 
collections. The 150th anniversary activities will focus on forging a 
stronger relationship between the institution and its benefactors and 
beneficiaries--the American people.
  During 1996, the Smithsonian will undertake a series of programs and 
stage a number of events that will commemorate its founding and explore 
new ways in which it can serve the public in the future. These 
activities, while extensions of the existing framework of Smithsonian 
programs, will require significant financial resources. Recognizing the 
existing budget constraints under which the Federal Government must 
operate, the Smithsonian's Board of Regents concluded it would not seek 
any additional appropriated funds in support of sesquicentennial 
programming. Rather, turning to the private component of the public-
private partnership, the Smithsonian will concentrate its efforts to 
raise support and funding for the anniversary programming for non-
Federal sources.


                          commemorative coins

  One avenue available to the Institution in raising a significant 
amount of the necessary funds is through the issuance of coins 
commemorative of the anniversary year. The coins 
[[Page E473]] would be issued on August 10, 1996, exactly 150 years 
from the actual date of the act of Congress which established the 
Smithsonian Institution. The issue of Smithsonian sesquicentennial 
commemorative coins will provide an opportunity for the American public 
to obtain a valued memento while at the same time supporting the 
Institution mandated to preserve its cultural and historical patrimony. 
Just as importantly, the funds derived from the issuance and sale of 
these commemorative coins would transfer the financial responsibility 
for sesquicentennial activities from the American taxpayer to voluntary 
collectors.
  Funds raised through the coin sale will enable the Smithsonian to 
showcase its 150-year service to the Nation and will also, hopefully, 
help the Institution meet the anticipated budgetary challenges which 
could threaten the current level of service to the public. It will 
assist in continuing education programs that reach all strata of our 
society. In addition, the legislation would authorize that 15 percent 
of the total proceeds remitted to the Institution would be designated 
to support the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of 
American History. This component of the legislation is strongly 
supported by the numismatic community and in a very tangible way 
demonstrates appreciation for their support of all congressionally 
authorized commemorative coin programs.
  Without exception, we all have constituents who visit, communicate 
with, and otherwise benefit from the Smithsonian every day. From eager 
first graders to learned scholars and researchers to out senior 
citizens, the public is consistently served by the vast resources and 
expertise of the Smithsonian and its staff. Successful enactment of 
this legislation will guarantee the American people the benefits and 
wonder of, as well as continued free access to this multifaceted 
institution.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join with me and with 
Congressmen Livingston and Johnson in sponsoring this legislation, so 
important and beneficial to Americans throughout our great country.


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