Excerpts from Letters with Andrew W. Mellon on the Gift of an Art Gallery to the United States.

December 22, 1936

My dear Mr. President:

Over a period of many years I have been acquiring important and rare paintings and sculpture with the idea that ultimately they would become the property of the people of the United States and be made available to them in a national art gallery to be maintained in the City of Washington for the purpose of encouraging and developing a study of the fine arts.

I have within the last few years transferred these paintings and sculpture to trustees with responsibility for carrying out this purpose and have given them full power and authority to deed these works of art to a national gallery if and when such an institution shall assume and be prepared to carry out the purposes intended. In addition, I have given to the trustees securities ample to erect a gallery building of sufficient size to house these works of art and to permit the indefinite growth of the collection under a conservative policy regulating acquisitions.

Such a gallery would be for the use and benefit of the general public; and it is my hope that it may attract gifts from other citizens who may in the future desire to contribute works of art of the highest quality to form a great national collection. In connection, therefore, with the intended gift, I shall stipulate that the proposed building shall not bear my name, but shall be known as "The National Art Gallery" or by such other name as may appropriately identify it as a gallery of art of the national Government.

In order to carry out this purpose, and with the approval of the other trustees, I wish to propose a plan to give the art collection which I have brought together, to the Smithsonian Institution or to the United States Government for the benefit of the people of this country, and also to erect or cause to be erected on public land a suitable building for such a National Gallery of Art, the design and materials of which shall be subject to the approval of the Fine Arts Commission. . . .

In addition to the gift of the art collection and a building in which it and similar collections may be housed and displayed, I plan also to establish an endowment fund for the proposed gallery, the income from which shall be used to pay the annual salaries of a director, assistant director, secretary, and curators of the gallery, and for possible future art acquisitions. The upkeep of the building and other administrative expenses and cost of operation would be provided in appropriations to be made by Congress, as for the other units of the Smithsonian Institution. . . .

By reason of the rarity and importance of these works of art, the general character of the collection is such that it will furnish the nucleus of a great National Collection and will give our country at once a National Gallery that will rank with the other great galleries of the world. . . .

If this plan meets with your approval, I will submit a formal offer of gift stating specifically the terms thereof, and the erection of the building may proceed immediately upon the acceptance of such offer and the passage of necessary legislation by Congress. Appropriate instruments of conveyance and gift will then be executed.

Sincerely yours,

A. W. Mellon

The President,

The White House,

Washington, D. C.

December 26, 1936

My dear Mr. Mellon:

When my uncle handed me your letter of December 22nd I was not only completely taken by surprise, but was delighted by your very wonderful offer to the people of the United States.

This was especially so because for many years I have felt the need for a national gallery of art in the capital. Your proposed gift does more than furnish what you call a "nucleus" because I am confident that the collections you have been making are of the first importance and will place the Nation well up in the first rank.

Furthermore, your offer of an adequate building and an endowment fund means permanence in this changing world.

Because the formal offer calls for specific statement of the terms and will have to be worked out before any request is made by me to the Congress for the necessary legislation, may I suggest that you, or whoever you may care to designate, should come to see me some afternoon this week?

Also, I think that we should discuss the formal announcement and the terms of it. With my renewed appreciation of your letter, believe me,

Very sincerely yours,

Honorable A. W. Mellon,

Washington, D.C.

December 31, 1936

My dear Mr. President:

I wish to thank you for your kind letter of December 26th and greatly appreciate the interest you have shown in my plan for the establishment of a national gallery of art at Washington.

For the purpose of carrying this plan into effect, I hereby offer to give the art collection, which I have brought together, to the Smithsonian Institution or to the United States Government for the benefit of the people of the United States and to construct a suitable building in which to exhibit this collection and other works of art of like quality which other citizens may in the future contribute to the National Collection.

In connection with the offer which I have made on behalf of myself and the other Trustees, who have the responsibility of carrying out this purpose, and in accordance with the suggestion in your letter, i set forth below an outline of the definite terms and conditions under which the gallery is to be erected and, together with the art collection, is to be given to the Smithsonian Institution or to the Government of the United States, all of which conditions are intended for the efficient management of the gallery and for safeguarding the high standard of quality which should be maintained in the art to be displayed therein ....

In addition to the gift of the art collection and a building in which it and similar collections may be housed and displayed, I further propose to establish an endowment fund for the gallery, the income from which shall be used to pay the annual salaries of a director, assistant director, a secretary and a curator of the gallery, and for future art acquisitions, but not for the upkeep of the building and other administrative expenses and salaries, which I have hereinbefore stipulated shall be provided in appropriations to be made by Congress. The amount of such endowment fund and the terms and conditions governing its operation will be subject to further consideration and will be stated in the instrument creating the fund.

The exact form of these gifts, and the details for carrying them into execution, are questions that can be agreed upon by counsel representing the Smithsonian Institution or the Government and myself.

Very sincerely yours,

A. W. Mellon

The President,

The White House.

January 1, 1937

My dear Mr. Mellon:

The outline of the terms and conditions under which the proposed "National Gallery of Art" is to be erected and maintained is admirably set forth in the letter you handed to me at our conference yesterday.

In accordance with our understanding, I am referring the correspondence to the Attorney General and the appropriate representatives of the Smithsonian Institution.

They will be able, I am sure, to work out, in conference with you, the details of this fine project and prepare the necessary papers, including a draft of enabling legislation.

I shall be happy to submit the matter, with a favorable recommendation, to the Congress at the first opportunity.

Very sincerely yours,

Honorable A. W. Mellon,

Washington, D. C.