Looking like tiny stick figures on the deck of an aircraft carrier, thousands of 'visitors thronged the Empire State Plaza, which is the mall's official name - under skies that were almost unbearably bright because of the glaring whiteness of the acres of marble, granite and concrete.

The ceremony today marked a debut for the plaza itself, and it was quickly evident that one of its design inspirations was turning out of be a minor catastrophe: The winds coming up from the Hudson River were sending spray from the newly operating fountains across the open space, so that pedestrians had to scramble for cover behind the trees.

The spray gave the entire mall a lambent, shimmering quality for those who didn't mind getting drenched while standing in the middle of it. From the raised marble stage of the south end, where the dedication ceremonies took place, the State Capitol could be seen looking like a ghostly Loire Valley chateau en-shrouded in mist.

A less fanciful world was invoked by Mr. Carey in his perfunctory, dedication remarks. "Why is this place here?" he asked, speaking without the benefit of notes. "Why do we open it? Why are we here today?"

Some of his listeners seemed to be expecting Mr. Carey to get into one of his frequent criticisms of the $2 billion project, but he answered his own question by saying that the mall was a monument "for the people."

Mr. Carey left early to hold a press conference in the Capitol. The Cultural Education Center itself which contains the New York State Museum and Library was opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Theodore M. Black, chancellor of State University of New York. He was assisted by Patricia Murphy, the 18-yearold Albany Tulip Queen, who was wearing a red velvet cape and a silver tiara in the shape of three tulips.

Afterward, hundreds of families went into the air-conditioned marble and glass museum after waiting patiently through the 45 minutes of speeches by Mr. Carey, Mr. Black, Education Commissioner Ewald B. Nyquist and Erastus Corning 2d, the Mayor of' Albany, who called the occasion “one of the most inspiring moments of my life."

Originally appeared in The New York Times, 2 July 1976, p A11

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