Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-10


Rock Greek Parkway. New HIS
Most Of the land is owned by
the Government. In addition
10 authorizing the use Of this
land. the legislation would per-
init the National Capital Plan
ming Commission TO purchase
about / acre Of privately owned
land.
other important features Of
the bill provide:
: % That the center will be
constructed with funds raised
by voluntary contributions"
Pnd not with Government
money.
I. % That the center will
:'present classical and contem-
:1orary music. opera, drama.
: ance and poetry from this
+. nd other countries lee
+: iles and programs" for
- participation, education
; 4 recreation of all age
F. rps.
+: longtime Need
; .lorts to build a cultural
! ..er are almost as old as the
/ pital itself. And from the
4: pitfalls infancy until very
Gently, there was no distinc-
(: ion between the city's need for
n great auditorium or conven-
:tion hall and that for a cultural
scenter.
T: The War Memorial Building
CONSTRUCTED at Fourth and F
streets NV. after the Civil War
twas supposed to I'LL both func-
:tions. Actually, it was only a
great hall suited for inaugural
celebrations and the like. Even
its role as an auditorium was
.short-lived. Soon after Presi-
dent Cleveland's first inaugural,
.the building was turned into
Government Offices.
In 1918. proposals were made
lin Congress for a George
Washington Hall to seat 5000.
:The structure was actually de-
signed, but the necessary money
could not be raised. Congress
created an auditorium COM
mission in 1897 and recon-
mended that a hall be built at
Fourth and d streets NV.
Nothing happened.
In 1945, a joint congressional
resolution proposed a War Me-
mortal building, but the bill
died without hearings. Then,
in 1855, Congress authorized an
Auditorium Commission. Fol-
lowing a study by the commits
sion, legislation to provide a
site was approved by the Sen
ate, but defeated in the House.
FOggy Bottom site
New legislation was intro
duced. by Senator Fulbright,
Democrat of Arkansas. this
year and was approved by the
Senate after proponents Of a
Mall site agreed to the Foggy
Bottom location.
The bill before the House
subcommittee was introduced
by Representative Thompson,
Democrat of New Jersey. 1t is
/ IDENTICAL to the Senate
approved measure,
Il was for the Mall site" said |
Mr.. Thompson, but / am now
convinced the Foggy Bottom
location is every bit as salts
factory. One Of the most i'm
portant things about this legis-
lation" he added. lis that it
for a cultural center
snd not a convention ham"
Patrons of the cultural cen
ter proposal have pointed out
N Senate and House committee
hearings the success and grow
ing prestige of the National
Gallery of Art.
This legislation is Squarely
based on the National Gallery
of Art Act" said Mr.. Thomp-
son. Besides the original gifts
OF Andrew Mellon Of the mag
uIficent building and one of the
greatest art collections in the
world, there have been many
additional gifts of enormous
laIue so that the National Gal
cry is one of the leading cul-
aral moments in the entire
world. 1t has been estimated
nat 1t represents today a mon
6tary value in the neighbour
hood Of 5000 million"
2 Site Presidents
- The Government. in addi-
tion to providing q site for the
National Gallery of Art also