For Release Wednesday Morning Papers August 19, 1956 GC £4
In accordance with the announced intention of the .orld's Fair Commission to
receive suggestions as to the stute's participation in the forid's Fair, Assemblyman
Abbot Low idoffat, Chairman of the Assembly ways and ijeans Committee and a member of
the iiorld's Fair Commission, sent the following letter yesterday (Tuesde; Aug. 18)
to Senetor John J. Dunnigan, Chairman of the torld's Fatr Commission.
660 Park Avenue
August 18, lic6
Hon. John J. Dunnigan
The Hotel Biltmore
New York, N. Y.
Dear John,
The responsibility imposed upon the forld's Faic Commission is to select end
recommend to the Legislature the most suitable end satisfectory form of partici-
pation in the world's Fair by the State of Nei York. The comaission has
unanimously agreed that whatever form such participstion taxes it should be a
permanent structure.
in recommending to the Legislature the expenditure of u large sum of money
for a permanent structure, it seems to me that iwo considerations musi be borne in
mind. First, the importance end suitability of such structure io the Fair itself,
and secondly but equaily, its value to the people of the entire State shen the
Fair shall be terminated. I hardly think that the State should be asked to spend
a lurge sum for an improvement which at the ciose of the Fair will be purely lecal
in its benefit and limited sexsonally or otherwise in its use.
Mir. aioses hus suggested the advisability of constructing a very expensive
water stadium. For the Commission ta adopt such & proposal out of hand, or even
to commit itself to an expenditure of several thousand dollars ai this time for
preliminary plans without further consideration of elternative proposal: would, in
my Opinion, be contrary to the duty placed upon us, despiie tir. “oses! piea for
haste.
_“~wwnmem «dT have long held the belief that a serious lack in this country and especially
in New York, is the non-existence of u great ituseum of Science and Industry.
~~ Germany has the famous Deutsche Museum at idunich, but in this country, where
science has played so great a part in our cevelopment and is so important a factor
in our every-day life, we have nothing of the sort, although there are some smail
museums and exhibits here and there. In no place is there yvavhered the imierial
from which one can see the growth of our present scientific era, the processes of
science or their application to industrial life. That there is « widespread desire
for such exhibition was well shown at the Century of Progress where the Hell of
Science, if I remember rightly, was the most freyuented of ell the exhibitions. I
assume that the \Vorld's Fair will also have a Hall of Science. ~% seems io ne
altogether fitting and proper that the Stute, in participating in the torlc's Fair
to celebrate the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of our preseni government, should
emphasize this phase of our national life by constructing the mein pari of the
proposed Hall of Science as a permanent structurc, uhich would serve as a nucleus
in the future for a great tluseum of Science and Industry.
a
It has been suggested ageinst this idea that it is hoped some day «hen there
is money, to build a wing on the Brooklyn siuseum for this purpose. such a jiuseum
serving its purpose adeyuately, would ultimately outgrow any “wing” and should be
& separate entity. I cannot agree with tir. hioses, especially the Fair site, «hich
is only 4 few minutes from both tlanhattan ana the Bronx, would noi be a suivable
location. I do agree that ultimately the cost and upkeep woula be great, but so
equally would be the return ito the people of the entire State and action in
educetional value.
Such a museum should be so plunned as to permit adequate groith in the future.
It should be designed to cover most of the fields of science not untoucked in exist-
ing museums, such as electricity, chemistry, optics, medicine, mete!s and mining,
communications, transportation, aeronauiics, oii, eic. It shoula house, if possibie,
historic apparatus both scientific and indusirial, as well as cducationel working
models demonstrative of scientific principles. One iarge hell could be used for
exhibit purposes in which various types of manufacturing orocesses could ir a time
to tiwe be displayed, such as the making of rayon, automobiles, rubber goods, eic.
There is at the present time a Musewa of Science and Indusiry financed by «
trust fund, but without sufficient moneys to build its own building. Possibly this
organization might be merged into a quasi-public corporation, as were the..Tiiden
Foundation and the Lenox Library into the Nei: York Public Library. Certainly many
of the exhibits installed at the Fair could be acuuired as permuncnt exhibits. And
it is a fact that many industrial concerns are eager to install and finance the
upkeep of demonstruitions of educational vaiue.
Let me repeat, what I have in mind is the construction of u permanent build-
ing in conjunction with the lorid's Fair scientific and industrial exhibitions,
which can serve us ea nucleus for ea future Museum of Science and Indusiry. I
recognize that with the comparatively short time at our disposul it may nol be
possible to organize a quasi~public permanent museum orgunization ready tO iake
over and operate such a museum at the close of the Fair. But if it can be done,
the value to the people of the vuhole Stete and indeed the country would be so
great that the watter should be thoroughly explored before the Commission reaches
a final decision as to the nature of the permanent structure to be erected by the
otate.
Again, let me urge that the Commission be noi precipitate in reaching ze
conclusion or partially committing themselves by expenditures for preliminary
plans and surveys. And let me egain recommend to the Commission the Surszestecd
participation which I nave outlined.
sincerely yours,
Abbot Low doffat
