He believes the reconstruction of events leading up to the cancellation as the best way to explain what happened. The first element involved exhibition planning, particularly development and production of the exhibition script.His reconstruction describes the five elements separately, and then explains the effect and influence each had when combined with the other elements to produce the outcome of the exhibition's cancellation. Since the National Air and Space Museum opened in 1976, it had developed a reputation for celebrating technology and displaying famous artifacts, but offered minimal intellectual content.As the author views this matter as central to the turmoil that followed, he devotes considerably more time to this element than the others. Smithsonian Secretary Robert McCormick Adams, an academic who wanted to encourage critical scholarship, appointed Martin Harwit director of Air and Space in August, 1987.
Discussion of a possible Enola Gay exhibition had begun years before the museum's Research Advisory Committee met in October 1987 to further consider the matter.Harwit shared Adams' philosophy and worked to improve scholarly standards at the museum.
