At the time he wrote the letter below, Smithsonian Director Johnstone had knowledge of the existence of his Institution's - then secret - contract with the Wrights' heirs. He therefore knowingly misrepresented his Institution's position by dening the contractual mandate it had to;

- endorse the Wrights' accomplishments &

- deny powered flight accomplishments of anyone else before December 1903.

The existence of the contract is a scandal. However, the subject matter below extends even beyond the realms of academia and would be relevant to other authorities, had the statute of limitations not already expired.

This site suggests the Smithsonian apologize for this behavior. However, there appears to be no intent on its part to do so. Clearly misstating facts, in an interview with the Connecticut Post in March, 2013, Peter L. Jakab, The Smithsonian's Associate Director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs appears to have denied the contract was ever secret: http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Letter-demands-Smithsonian-bury-flyer-contract-4395576.php.



In 1968, almost 10 years prior to the exposure of the secret Wright/Smithsonian Contract in 1976, (i.e., at a time when the public didn't yet know of its existence), Major William J. O'Dwyer publicly praised the Smithsonian for standing up to the Wrights. He wrote that the Smithsonian's Aeronautical Curator, Paul Garber, told him personally that when the Wrights asked for exclusive recognition as the first to fly, they were turned down.

After the contract came to light it became clear that the contract had not only been kept secret, but that O'Dwyer had been actively deceived. In 1978, O'Dwyer became the Smithsonian's most outspoken critic.