Samuel H. Kress, American businessman and philanthropist. The National Gallery of Art was created on March 17, 1937, by a joint resolution of Congress accepting the gift of financier and art collector Andrew W. Mellon. Designed by John Russell Pope, the West Building was made possible by construction funds provided by the A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust. In this speech, recorded during evening ceremonies on March 17, 1941, Kress describes his collection of Italian paintings and sculptures, and gifts these artworks to the Gallery and the people of the United States.