In the 1970s, Illinois had a governor who tried to cut everything
that was not bringing in revenue or that was not in the eye of the
public. This sounds like the same situation. It appeals to the
anti-intellectual and tax-cutting crowd. Mentioning how this research
and education of professionals impacts museum patrons may be your
best persuader.
Sue Huitt
>Just wanted to let everyone know that the American Anthropological
>Association has an action alert out on this which can be found at
>www.aaanet.org. Also, I don't know how many people read the article in the
>NY Times about this, but Small wants "to cut research at the Smithsonian to
>a single digit number of disciplines." This could be disastrous. It is a
>bad idea to have our NATIONAL museum not be reasonably encyclopedic.
>
>Kathy Mancuso
>
>On Wed, 2 May 2001 08:17:55 -0700, Lisa Deitz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>>I am posting this for someone who is not a member of this list. Please
>direct questions to [log in to unmask]
>>Thanks,
>>Lisa Deitz, Principal Museum Preparator
>>Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis
>>
>>HELP SAVE RESEARCH AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION:
>>PROTEST THE CUT OF SCMRE AND THE REORGANIZATION OF SI
>>RESEARCH
>>
>>The Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE) is
>>slated to be
>>eliminated as of December 31, 2001 and its research program terminated.
>>The Center,
>>established in 1963, is a world leader in preserving cultural heritage
>>by conducting
>>archaeological materials research and conservation studies and by
>>training hundreds of
>>researchers from the U.S. and over 40 countries in conservation,
>>preservation, and materials
>>research.
>>
>>Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small is asking Congress for an increase
>>in the SI 2002 budget of 8.1%, or
>>$40 million. The total request amount for fiscal 2002 is $494 million.
>>Small’s proposed budget
>>cuts within SI would eliminate SCMRE, which has 37 job slots, only 29 of
>>which are now filled
>>due to a previous freeze on hiring.
>>
>>The justification for these cuts is that these activities and programs
>>are claimed to be unnecessary and do not contribute to the SI and its
>>"new" research priorities. Closing SCMRE is a clear statement by SI
>>upper management that they do not value studies contributing to the
>>long-term preservation of SI collections.
>>
>>WHAT THE LOSS OF SCMRE MEANS:
>>
>>World Leader In Preserving Cultural Heritage: A unique research
>>laboratory for materials
>>analysis and preservation of cultural patrimony whose researchers have
>>published over 1000
>>journal articles. Among SCMRE’s many successes have been establishment
>>of standards for
>>museum climatology, objects transport, photographic preservation, the
>>storage of natural history
>>specimens, and archival collections.
>>
>>Conservation Window To The World: For 15 years, SCMRE has sponsored a
>>program of Pre-
>>and Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Archaeology and Materials Analysis, and
>>yearly internships for
> >conservators. Active programs with over 10 universities in the U.S. and
> >enduring relationships
> >with archaeologists, conservators, and museum professionals in more than
> >200 institutions in 40
> >nations.
>>
>>Cutting Edge Technologies And Partnerships To Study Archaeological
>>Artifacts And
>>Materials: Through 28 years of experience, SCMRE has pioneered in trace
>>element analysis of
>>over 25,000 artifacts to source and provenance materials, to establish
>>provenance of goods used
>>for trade and tribute, and to establish trade patterns in the Americas,
>>Asia, and Africa.
>>Thousands of chemical and microstructual studies of ceramic, glass, and
>>metal artifacts from
>>hundred of archaeological sites have led to the understanding and
>>reconstruction of many
>>prehistoric and historic technologies.
>>
>>Reduction In Educational Opportunities: Scientific research has been
>>disseminated in the
>>fields of museum climatology, ancient DNA, preservation of blood
> >residues, trace element
>>studies, technological studies, conservation of cultural icons and
>>artifacts now exhibited in
>>several national museums, as well as conservation and materials analysis
>>training. SCMRE staff
>>have taught in interdisciplinary pilot programs in local high schools
>>that are designed to link art,
>>archaeology, and science to empirical practice.
>>
>>WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTEST THE CUT OF SCMRE
>>
>>Before May 7, You Can Express Your Protest By Writing To The SI Board Of
>>Regents
>>Who Must Approve Secretary Small’s Proposed Budget Cuts.
>>
>>Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist
>>Supreme Court of the United States
>>1 First Street, N.E.
>>Washington, D.C. 20001
>>
>>The Honorable Thad Cochran
>>U.S. Senate
>>Washington, D.C. 20510
>>
>>The Honorable Bill Frist
>>U.S. Senate
>>Washington, D.C. 20510
>>
>>The Honorable Patrick Leahy
>>U.S. Senate
>>Washington, D.C. 20510
>>
>>The Honorable Robert Matsui
>>U.S. House of Representatives
>>Washington, D.C. 20515
>>
>>The Honorable Ralph Regula
>>U.S. House of Representatives
>>Washington, D.C. 20515
>>
>>The Honorable Sam Johnson
>>U.S. House of Representatives
>>Washington, D.C. 20515
>>
>>Anne d’Harnoncourt
>>Director, Philadelphia Museum of Art
>>Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 26th Street
>>Philadelphia, PA. 19130
>>
>>Manuel Ibanez
>>7737 Starnberg Lake Drive
>>Corpus Christi, TX. 78413
>>
>>Dr. Walter Massey
>>President, Morehouse College
>>830 Westview Drive SW
>>Atlanta, GA 30314
>>
>>Homer Neal
>>Director, ATLAS Project
>>University of Michigan
>>Physics Dept., 375 West Hall
>>Ann Arbor, MI 48109
>>
>>Howard Baker
>>810 Penn. Ave., NW
>>Washington, D.C. 20090
>>
>>Alan Spoon
>>7300 Loch Edin Ct.
>>Potomac, MD 20854
>>
>>Hanna Gray
>>University of Chicago
>>501 So. Ellis Ave.
>>Chicago, IL. 60637
>>
>>Barber Conable
>>The World Bank
>>1818 H St., NW
>>Washington, D.C. 20433
>>
>>Wesley Williams
>>7706 Ga. Ave., NW
>>Washington, D.C. 20090
>>
>>Below is a letter that was sent by SAA president Bob Kelly to all
>>members of SI’s Board of
>>Regents
>>
>>Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist
>>Supreme Court of the United States, 1 1st St., NE
>>Washington, D.C.
>>
>>Honorable Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist:
>>
>> I am writing to you as President of the Society for American
>>Archaeology (SAA), a
>>Section 501 (c) (3) organization that was founded in 1934 and is
>>incorporated in the District of
>>Columbia. With more than 6600 members, SAA is the leading professional
>>organization of
>>archaeologists in the United States. Among the Society’s primary
>>objectives is advocacy of the
>>protection of archaeological resources and promotion of research on the
>>archaeology of the
>>Americas.
>>
>> I am writing to ask that the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents
>>not terminate the
>>Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE). For
>>nearly 40 years the
>>SCMRE has been a leader in preserving cultural heritage and in advancing
>>research into world
>>prehistory. It has trained hundreds of researchers in the U.S. and some
>>40 other countries. The
>>SCMRE has been instrumental in establishing standards for museum archive
>>and storage climate
>>controls, object transport, and photographic preservation, as well as
>>DNA analysis, preservation
>>of blood residue, trace element studies and conservation of cultural
>>icons. It has presented over
>>500 training courses for conservators, and has sponsored a series of
>>pre-and post-doctoral
>>fellowships in Archaeology and Materials Analysis for 15 years. The
>>Center pioneered research
>>into trace element analysis, and has conducted research projects for
>>nearly 30 years into
>>prehistoric exchange and trade in the Americas, Africa and Asia. There
>>is no other comparable
>>center in the U.S. Indeed, research projects all over the world will
>>suffer if the SCMRE is
>>dismantled.
>>
>> In 1829 the English scientist James Smithson left his fortune to the
>>people of the United
>>States to found an institution for the "increase and diffusion of
>>knowledge." The “diffusion” of
>>knowledge speaks to the Smithsonian’s educational mandate, and the
>>“increase” in knowledge
>>speaks to its research mandate. Smithson wisely saw that research
> >without education is
>>worthless, and that education without research is stifling. The SCMRE
>>is an essential part of the
>>Smithsonian’s research mandate. The Society for American Archaeology
>>urges in the strongest
>>terms possible that the Smithsonian Board of Regents retain the Center
>>for Materials Research
>>and Education.
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>
>>Robert L. Kelly, Ph.D.
>>President, Society for American Archaeology
>>
>>If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact
>>me at SAA.
>>Donald Forsyth Craib
>>Manager, Government Affairs, and Counsel
>>Society for American Archaeology
>>202.789.8200
>>202.789.0284-fax
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
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