The Sept. 14 front-page article on the appointment of Lawrence M.Small as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution did not mention theaccomplishments of the current secretary, I. Michael Heyman.
Among his achievments, Secretary Heyman secured the funds to buildthe new National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall,supervised creation of the institution's Web site and ordered thecreation of the Smithsonian's 150th touring exhibition, which drewmore than 3 million visitors in cities across the country, as well asthe 150th anniversary celebration on the Mall, which attracted morethan 600,000 people.
In 1996 he created the Institute for Conservation Biology. He hasoverseen the expansion of research facilities at the National Zoo,the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the SmithsonianEnvironmental Research Center and the Smithsonian AstrophysicalObservatory.
Secretary Heyman created the Center for African American Historyand Culture, the Center for Latino Initiatives and was responsiblefor the appointment of a counselor to the Smithsonian provost forAsian Pacific American studies.
At his direction, an affiliations program with local museums hasbeen created to enable Americans to see significant portions of theinstitution's collections in their hometowns.
The Smithsonian magnet schools program in the District wasestablished along with a national program of graduate education forteachers and "Natural Partners," a national science educationInternet-based curriculum.
In 1995, Secretary Heyman's first year in office, the Smithsonianreceived donations totaling $51.8 million. By 1998 that figure hadrisen to $92 million.
ROBERT FRI
Director
National Museum of Natural History
MILO BEACH
Director
Sackler-Freer Gallery
Washington
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