December 15. 1940.

To THE HONORABLE

HALL OF RECORDS COMMISSION
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

Gentlemen:

The following report covers the activities of the Hall of Records
for the fifth year of its establishment. It is the second of such reports
to be prepared by the present Archivist and the first to cover a full year
of his direction of the Hall: the report for the year 1938-1939 covered
the last six months before the death of Dr. James A. Robertson in
March 1939, the succeeding three months period in which the Hall was
under the direction of Miss Elizabeth W. Meade, Assistant Archivist,
and the first three months after the appointment of the present Archivist.

Since this is the first Annual Report to be printed and distributed
to others than the members of the Hall of Records Commission certain
changes in its form have been found necessary. If for no other reason,
the cost of printing would recommend a reduction in length. Wider
distribution indicated the type of information formerly given in these
reports which should be excluded, for example, confidential matters of
finance and personnel which can be better left for informal reports at
meetings of the Commission. Matters of fundamental policy as well as
detailed descriptions of new equipment can also be eliminated with little
loss. Because some readers of this report have not had access to pre-
vious reports the Archivist has taken the liberty of explaining and re-
capitulating wherever he has felt that procedure to be necessary. It is
hoped that at some future date a summary of the operation of the Hall
during the interesting period of its first four years can be assembled and
published.

Respectfully submitted.

MORRIS L. RADOFF,
Archivist

Hall of Records,
Annapolis, Maryland