Chap. 365.—An ACT to authorize the Virginia Conservation Commission to ac-
cept from the Trustees of the Slemp Foundation, created by the will of the late
C. Bascom Slemp, a collection of books, printings, and museum pieces, to be
known as the “Southwest Virginia Museum”; to operate the same with funds
donated by the said Trustees, or others, for that purpose; to enter into agree-
ments with the State Library Board for joint operation of said museum and a
public library, and to appropriate money for the purchase of a building in
which to house said museum and carry on said activities. [S 100]

Approved March 31, 1944

Whereas, by the provisions of chapter four hundred and three, of the
Acts of the General Assembly of nineteen hundred and forty-two, the
sum of twenty-five thousand dollars was appropriated for the purpose
of constructing a building in the town of Big Stone Gap, in Wise County,
Virginia, which was intended to be used to house a collection of museum
pieces which Honorable C. Bascom Slemp, at the time of the passage of
the said act, was offering to donate to the Commonwealth of Virginia;
and,

Whereas, said act contained various conditions, some of which, in-
cluding the donation of the said collection, it has been impossible to com-
ply with by reason of the death of Mr. Slemp, and the said sum so ap-
propriated has never been expended ; and,

Whereas, by his last will and testament, the said C. Bascom Slemp
created the Slemp Foundation and named certain trustees to invest and
manage the securities and funds with which said Foundation was by
him endowed, and authorized them to provide for the maintenance of a
museum consisting of said collection of museum pieces which Mr. Slemp
at the time of his death was offering to donate to the Commonwealth of
Virginia; and, :

Whereas, under the provisions of said will, the said Trustees are
authorized to donate said collection of museum pieces, and other articles
of personal property, to the Commonwealth of Virginia as a museum
upon condition that the Commonwealth will operate same, and also are
authorized to pay to the Commonwealth a sum to be agreed upon to de-
fray the cost of the care, maintenance, operation, and development, of
said museum to consist of the collection aforesaid, and such other addi-
tions thereto as may be donated from time to time: and,

Whereas, the said Trustees have offered to donate said collection or
museum to the Commonwealth of Virginia to be managed and operated
by the Virginia Conservation Commission, and to pay from the income of
the Foundation a minimum of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) a year
if needed toward the care, operation, maintenance, and development of
same, upon condition, however, that the Commonwealth of Virginia ap-
propriate the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars for the purchase by
the Virginia Conservation Commission from the Trustees of said Founda-
tion of the stone residence in the town of Big Stone Gap, constructed
by and formerly the dwelling of Attorney General R. A. Ayres; and,

Whereas, the said Virginia Conservation Commission has approved
the acceptance of said proposal of said Trustees. with the understanding
that the said Commission may utilize a part of the said building in con-
junction with the authorities of the State Library Board so as to per-
mit the conducting and operating of a public library therein; now, there-
fore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, as follows:

1. Section 1. That the Virginia Conservation Commission is here-
by authorized and empowered to accept legal title from the Trustees of
the Slemp Foundation by proper muniments of title, to a donation of a
collection of museum pieces and to establish, operate and maintain the
same as a museum, and to accept additional donations thereto from time
to time, provided that the cost of said operation and maintenance (in
addition to any contributions thereto which may be made by the authori-
ties of the State Library Board, in the event a public library is established
and operated therein) shall be donated for that purpose by the said
Trustees of the said Foundation as hereinafter set forth or by other
persons. _

The acceptance of the aforesaid donation is to be contingent upon
the entering into of an appropriate agreement with the Trustees of the
Slemp Foundation satisfactory to the Conservation Commission where-
by the Trustees of the said Foundation shall provide for the payment
by the Foundation of a minimum of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00)
per year (if needed) from the income of the Foundation toward the
necessary costs of care, maintenance, operation and development of said
museum, and that such payments shall continue annually so long as there
is adequate income in the Foundation therefor, and so long as the Con-
servation Commission desires to receive same and the purposes of the
donation are being carried out. Any funds donated by the Foundation
or by others, not required in any year, in the opinion of the Conserva-
tion Commission for the maintenance and operation of said museum mav
be used at its discretion toward the maintenance and operation of a pub-
lic library established in accordance with this act. Said agreement shall
be executed on behalf of the Virginia Conservation Commission by its
Chairman, when so authorized by said Commission and when approved
as to legality and conformity with this act by the Attorney General and
if in the opinion of the Attorney General the income from the Slemp
Foundation is sufficient for the purposes of this act.

Section 2. The said Conservation Commission is authorized in its
discretion to enter into an appropriate agreement with the State Library
Board with respect to the acquisition, installation, and care, maintenance.
operation and development of a public library having its headquarters
within the building housing the Museum, such agreement to be approved
as to legality and conformity with this act by the Attorney General.

Section 3. The museum to be established under the foregoing pro-
visions of this act shall be known as the “Southwest Virginia Museum”.

Section 4. Chapter four hundred and three of the Acts of the Gen-
eral Assembly of nineteen hundred and forty-two, by which the said sum
of twenty-five thousand dollars was appropriated for the general pur-
pose covered by this act, is hereby repealed, and there is hereby ap-
propriated to the Virginia Conservation Commission the sum of twenty-
five thousand dollars to be used by said Commission for the purchase
under the provisions of this act of said Ayres building in the town of
Big Stone Gap from the Trustees of said Foundation.

Title to the building so purchased shall be in the State of Virginia
and the building shall be used for the purposes of the museum and library
as in this act above provided.

Such further use of the building as may be consistent with the ad-
vancement of education generally is authorized as may be approved by
the Conservation Commission from time to time.

Section 5. A sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00),
but only so much thereof as may be needed, in the opinion of the Con-
servation Commission, (to be paid in installments totaling not more than
five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) a year, over a period of two years from
the date of purchase of the Ayers Building by the State) shall be made
available by the Slemp Foundation from its income, toward the cost
of remodeling, altering and repairing the aforesaid building, to be ex-
pended under the supervision of the Commission. Said sum to be in ad-
dition to any sums paid over by the Foundation for the annual opera-
tion of the Museum.