Subject Files

These records document the tenures of Frank A. Taylor, John C. Ewers, and Robert P. Multhauf as Directors of the Museum of History and Technology (NMHT); of Daniel J. Boorstin, Brooke Hindle, and Roger G. Kennedy as Directors of the National Museum of History and Technology; and of Roger G. Kennedy as Director of the National Museum of American History (NMAH). Most of the records document the period from 1960 to 1986, although pre-1958 records document the work of Alexander Wetmore and A. Remington Kellogg as Directors of a predecessor organization, the United States National Museum. Records document activities of the Office of the Director and the daily internal administration of NMAH but also include a few records concerning general Smithsonian issues. Records include correspondence and memoranda with educational institutions, government agencies, professional associations, scholars, domestic and foreign museums, and NMAH curators concerning cooperative programs with other organizations; special events in the NMAH, including fundraising activities, lecture series, and musical events; NMAH policies; organization and planning of the Museum; publication of curators' research; acquisition of objects for the national collections; exhibits; security; blueprints, floor plans, and photographs of the Museum's facilities; exhibition records, including photographs, blueprints, floor plans, and a small number of scripts; and files, including memoranda and reports, concerning the Museum's relationship with other Smithsonian bureaus, offices, and the central administration.