Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-06
Cultural Center Site

The Senate Public Build
ingS subcommittee has APP
proved a bill to locate the
monster National Air Mu-
scum. larger than the United
States Capitol Building, on
the Mall across from the
Mellon Gallery.
The Senate subcommittee
chose to give the green light
to the air museum over SEN
ator Fulbright's bill for a
National Cultural Center on
the site.
There already is a splendid
air museum at the Wright
Patterson Air Force Base in
Dayton, Ohio. The Air Force
is planning a great air mu-
scum for the entire Air Force
at the Air Force Academy in
Colorado Springs. Colo. / am
informed. also, that no leg
islation is needed for the Air
Force Academy Air Museum,
that all the necessary au-
thority is inherent in the
Secretary of the Air Force.
The air museum in Wash
ington will be a third air
museum. All three museums
will be paid for and main
tanned by the taxpayers, of
course. not by the billion
dollar air industry.
The Nations top cultural
leaders. the Commission of
Fine Arts and the Smith
sonian Art Commission, and
the leading national art or
CARNATIONS are on record as
opposed to the Mall location
for the air museum. At the
same time, Nationwide sup
port has developed for the
measure Senator Fulbright
and I have sponsored. Locat-
ing the air museum at Boil
ing Air Force Base would
save millions of dollars,
which the taxpayers other
wise will have to shell out
for the air museum on the
Mall.
The Fulbright Thompson
National Cultural Center bill
is a compromise plan that
is an outgrowth of the work
done by the District Audi
forum Commission. II pro-
videS that the Federal Gov
eminent shall donate a choice
site in the same way it do
mated choice sites for the
Mellon and Freer art gall
leries and for the ll5-foot
bell tower memorial to the
late Senator Robert Taft
The National Cultural Gen.
ter which it would establish
would have the same status
in the Federal Government
as the Mellon Gallery, which
is a branch of the Smith
sonian Institution. and it
would be paid for in the same
way-that is. by private con-
tributions only. The center
would be similar in many
respects to the sos million
Lincoln Square Center of the
Performing Arts in New York
City which is to be built by
private funds. Foundations,
including the Ford and
Rockefeller Foundations, have
already pledged the New
York City project SIS million,
and I am confident they
would do as much or more for
a National Cultural Center if
legislation is enacted into
law providing for such contri-
buttons. Especially would this
be so if the center had the
same status as the Mellon
Gallery.
More than $500 million is
presently represented in the
National (Mellon Gallery
and its matches collections
donated by the Mellon. Wide
ner, Kress. Dale and other
families. Certainly this is
proof Of the attractiveness Of
the Mall location for an art
center. No comparable site
for a cultural center exists
in the Nations Capital, in
fact. The one remaining Mall
site across from the Archives
Building is smaller and. be-
sides, a Federal Office build
ing is planned for that loca-
ton. BY its insistence on
locating the air musem on the
Mall. the administration is
scuttling the one opportunity
for a great cultural center in
the Nations Capital.
hope the Senate will care
fully consider these matters
and reverse the position taken
on the air museum.
Frank Thompson, Jr.,
Representative From New
Jersey.