The Recording Secretary read the minutes of the 2084th meeting and they were approved. The speaker for the 2085th meeting was Martin Harwit, the former Director of the National Air and Space Museum. The title of his talk was, “An Exhibit Denied: Lobbying the History of Enola Gay.” In 1995, a planned exhibition of the Enola Gay at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum was cancelled before ever opening due to pressures from congressional lobbyists, including the American Legion and the Air Force Association. One of the more telling arguments came from Republican New York Congressman Gerald B. Solomon, who promised to “zero out” the Smithsonian's congressional appropriation unless the museum accommodated the wishes of the American Legion concerning the Enola Gay exhibit and the museum “could count on that.” It was not clear whether Representative Solomon ever reviewed the content or context of the proposed exhibit before issuing his edict.
As one might expect, the money threat won out and the Smithsonian's chief executive cancelled the exhibit and Mr.įurther, 81 members of Congress demanded the dismissal of the museum director, Mr.
