Oriental Galleries Opening, 1970

Prior to the creation of the special events department the director's office handled the planning of receptions, dinner parties, and other events to honor donors, trustees, and museum benefactors. Important museum events during Lee's tenure included the Golden Anniversary in 1966-1967, the renovation of the former auditorium into the Oriental galleries (today the Asian galleries) in 1970-one which Lee took particular interest in given his inclination toward Asian art-and the opening in 1971 of the education wing designed by Marcel Breuer. By far the largest of these events was the Golden Anniversary Year, with Lee working with museum president Emery May Norweb to organize banquets honoring benefactors, dealers, members, and local artists; and arranging special musical concerts and entertainment for special exhibitions. After 1966 it increasingly became the responsibility of the public relations department and A. Beverly Barksdale (general manager from 1970-1980) and later William Talbot (assistant director for administration beginning in 1980) to plan and organize entertainment events.

The records include invitations, programs, menus, itineraries, equipment needs, guest lists, correspondence with potential lecturers or entertainers and others involved in the event, seating charts, congratulatory letters, and regrets letters. Folder titles are consistent with those assigned by the director's office.They are organized chronologically by event, starting with records relating to the foreign medical graduates reception, held annually at the museum during the early 1960s. The records from the Golden Anniversary Year follow, with general information preceding folders on specific banquets and other special events. Records for the entertainment at the opening of the education (Breuer) wing are arranged in a similar fashion. At the end of the subseries is a folder of records, organized chronologically, for dinner parties and receptions for various exhibitions held between 1958 and 1983.