we are joined by general jack dailey. he is the man in charge this museum.en here 17 years. this is a big night for you. >> this is a very big night and one we've been looking forward to for quite a sfwhil as we stand here in this iconic space, so many people have come here over the years, 320 million since it opened in 1976, give us the history. why -- why was this designed and developed in the first place? >> well, the smithsonian has the largest and most diverse collection of air and space artifacts in the world. the problem of course is how to display them because they are quite large, most of them. and the collection was put together by dr. paul garber and general happen arnold after world war ii is where the majority of the airplanes were acquired. but there was no place to display them. we had them down in the arts and industry building, and we had what they called a continue shed out on the mall for years. but this museum was then approved in 1947, and then it became a reality in 1976. so it was a long span in there because there was actually some co

we're here with general jack dailey inside the air and space museum, the most popular museum, part of the smithsonian in washington, d.c., busy week wednesday the july 4 holiday. let's talk about your numbers. how many people work here? what is your operating budget? >> we have 242 part time, what we call the explainers. colleagues and high school students who work here and are funded by general electric aviation but the important thing is we have 650 volunteers. and they really are the ones that make this place operate. it's a fantastic experience to just -- their enthusiasm and knowledge they bring to this place is the key to our success. the numbers we work on are about $32 million a year in operational costs and we raise about half of that ourselves. after that we get from the federal government pays for the federal employees' salaries, there is no money in there for operations so any program that we have here we have to get sponsorship from the outside. >> and some of the sounds people might here, the i max theater is right next to us. one of the changes from 1976. but if you wer

. >> and general jack dailey is the person who began our coverage. he will kick off the 40th anniversary celebration. we're going take it back outside. we'll also hear from mike collins in a video presentation, former astronaut and first director of this museum as it celebrates its 40th birthday. >>> aviation is america's story, we went through the first power controlled man flight, to walking on the moon 66 years. >> the air and space museum shows you exactly that history. >> everything we have has a special significance to the development of aviation and space in this country. >> i remember it so well as a small boy. my father explaining to me what it was. it was the first airplane ever flown. >> here we are in the same room with the airplane that the wright brothers flew. >> one of the main purposes of the museum is to preserve the artifacts wherever. >> sure, you can have reproksz or mock-ups, but here you have the real thing. >> everything that is in here has a story. of great significance. >> it did it first or better than anything else. >> you

. >> and general jack dailey is the person who began our coverage. he will kick off the 40th anniversary celebration. we're going to take you back outside. we'll also hear from mike collins in a video presentation, former astronaut and first director of this museum as it celebrates its 40th birthday. >> we could have closed the museum. >> aviation is america's story. we went from the first powered controlled man flight to walking on the moon, 66 years. >> the air and space museum shows you exactly that history. >> everything that we have, has a special significance to the development of aviation and space in this country. >> i came and saw this aircraft. i remember it so well. a small boy. my father explaining to me what it was, the first airplane to ever fly. >> here we are in the same room, with the airplane that wright brothers flew. >> one of the main purposes of this museum is to preserve the artifa artifacts. >> you could have mockups but you have the real thing. >> >> everything that is in here has a story of great significance. >> it did it f

. >> general jack dailey, thank you so much for being with us. the individual who runs this facility, the most popular museum in the smithsonian. >> can i put in a plug? >> absolutely. >> at 8:30 tonight we're going to have an opening ceremony for our new exhibit, the boeing milestones of flight hall and it's where where we are now open to the public and we'll stay open all night so if you haven't got anything else to do, even if you do, come down, the weather is clearing here, we're going to do it outside and have a grand time. >> and i'll put a plug for c-span 3 american history tv because we're carrying it live. thanks for being with us. we'll show you around this terrific facility, this museum and some of the artifacts, one-of-a-kind items only here at the air and space museum. >>> behind me you see the wright flier, the world's first airplane. on the morning of december 17, 1903 at 10:35 a.m. orville wright at the controls takes flight in 120 feet. that's the first time a man has entered the air in a fly magazine. at the end of four flights

let's give jack dailey a round of applause. as general daily says, this is an exciting year for us. the 40th anniversary of the national air and space museum. boeing will celebrate its centennial. we will be 100-years-old on july 16. and the early celebration on july 1. one that involves all aspects of airspace. we think back to the first century of aviation, people went from walking on the earth to walking on the moon. we went from riding horses to flying airplanes and spaceships. it has been an incredible journey and boeing has been honored to be a part of that. and tonight, it is my privilege to introduce the speakers and moderator that will be leading tonight discussion around space i can tell you personally as a , space enthusiast how excited i am that this is the topic for tonight. first of all, i would like to recognize michael collins. a hero. when i told my son that i was going to meet him this evening, he said, no way. he has done a lot to inspire the country and i think we can all remember back to the apollo 11, whether we saw it in real time or have seen it since, boeing

we will tour the museum and see one-of-a-kind artifacts and think with the director, jack dailey. we will also speak with jeremy kitty -- kinney. and you can join the conversation as we will be taking your phone calls, e-mails and tweets. saturday night at 8:00 p.m. >> she was focused on her position as a mother. her position as a mother to say that women are different than men, but women can really do society better. >> boston college professor on the new role of women in politics during the late 19th century. and the growth of political organizations run by women that focus on probation and women's suffrage. sunday morning at 10:00, the 1968 republican and democratic national conventions. , strong, without being arrogant. that is the kind of america that will help build the peace of this world. tothe time has come for us leave the value of -- valley of despair and climb the mountain, so we may see the glory of the don. for peace and freedom in the world. >> former vice president richard nixon accepted the nomination. and hubert humphrey accepted the democratic nomination in chic

jack. as general dailey said, i was -- i first worked for the smithsonian. i was young then.ars old. and first worked for the smithsonian when this museum opened. this -- during that time we were celebrating the bicentennial of the united states. 200 years of our country. and just remember what it was like then. now younger people will not. but those of a certain age will. we were in a space race with the russians, with the soviets. there was a cold war going on. and the whole challenge to go to space, when president kennedy just over here in front of the capitol at his inauguration challenged the country to send a man to the moon and back before the end of the decade, that was fresh in our minds. and so when we went to space and when this museum was built, it was really a monument to our country in terms of our science, technology, and engineering. the kind of innovation that made us great and historically has made us great as a country. but it was even more than that. and if you were here 40 years ago when this museum opened, you recognized at that time just as those who ar