  We take a fresh look at about 60 years of recommendations for US federal
funding for astronomical and astrophysical facilities provided by seven survey
committees at roughly 10-year intervals. It remains true that very roughly one
third of the highest priority items were done with (mostly) federal funding
within about 15 years of the reports; another third happened with (mostly)
state, private, or international funding; and about a third never happened (and
we might well not want them now). Some other very productive facilities were
never quite recommended but entered the queue in other ways. We also take brief
looks at the long-term achievements of the highest-priority facilities that
were actually funded and built more or less as described in the decadal
reports. We end with a very brief look at the gender balance of the various
panels and committees and mention some broader issues that came to look
important while we were collecting the primary data. A second paper will look
at what sorts of institutions the panel and committee members have come from
over the years.
