@1000 word essay
Natalie Venturino
May 9, 2014
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Smithsonian as we know it
Today the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex. It is made up of nineteen museums, nine research facilities, and the national zoo housing United States national collections in national history. Many of these are historical or architectural landmarks. The Smithsonian has about 30 million visitors a year who all are admitted free of charge. Most of the museums and research facilities are located right here in our nations capital. There are a few exceptions in which they are in other cities and perhaps in another country, which can be validated by the map located in the exhibits section of this Omeka site.
The big question
Being that the Smithsonian Institution is so well established, pondering how it all started may be common. How did an educational institution come to the National Mall? When the Smithsonian first started to come about the Mall only really consisted of the Capitol Building, the White House, and the beginnings of the Washington Monument. Why was it so important to represent scientific discovery in the heart of the new capitol? How did this all start and grow to be the largest museum and research institution?
James Smithson
James Smithson set out for an establishment of the “increase and diffusion of knowledge”. He is the founding donor of the Smithsonian Institution. According to Smithsonian Libraries, Smithson’s reasoning for bringing an educational institution in a new country remains a mystery. Since James Smithson was born in Paris, the United states was foreign to him. So why would he want to invest half a million dollars, which was 1/66 of the United States entire federal budget at the time, into the start of this institution? It has been shown that there are a variety of assumptions. For example, people assumed that he was denied his fathers legacy, or he was inspired by the United States’ experiment with democracy. Or did he possibly feel that his gift would have more impact ton a young nation with only a few major educational and research institutions? He never wrote about this so we have no solidified answer as to why he started us off on the establishment of this gift he has given us.
Taking Smithson’s Bequest to the Next Step
There were some doubts upon accepting James Smithson’s bequest. This initiated debate between those governing the new nation. There were controversies and disagreements over the possible repercussions of accepting such a gift. It was President Andrew Jackson who asserted that the United States would the opportunity of the bequest to good use. He announced this to congress and on July 1, 1836 and they accepted the legacy. For eight years this debate carried on but finally on August 10, 1846 James K Polk, signed as an Act of Congress establishing the Smithsonian Institution
Building
The Smithsonian Building Committee, which is also noted in the items section of this Omeka site, worked closely with an architect by the name of James Renwick Jr. Their goal was to create a Smithsonian building that contained an art gallery, lecture hall library, chemical laboratory, and a natural history laboratory. Robert Dale Owen, Chairman of the Smithsonian Building Committee said “Nor do I believe that anyone… in looking upon that building, would mistake its character or connect it … with other than a scientific or collegiate foundation.” The first building was completed in 1855 and is now known as the Smithsonian Castle. In the Smithsonian Institution Annual Report it was stated, “The majority of Strangers who visit the city consider it a very beautiful edifice”.
First Secretary
Joseph Henry became the Smithsonian’s first secretary in 1846. Joseph Henry was a very respected and well-known figure, which put him above most candidates. According to Smithsonian Libraries web page, his vision for the Smithsonian was centered on his interpretation of Smithson’s will as a call for scientific research establishment. During the time that Henry served as secretary he brought the Smithsonian to be the country’s foremost scientific research institute.
Spencer Fullerton Baird
An assistant to Secretary Joseph Henry was Spencer Fullerton Baird. As it has been noted, Joseph Henry envisioned the Smithsonian primarily as a research institute but Baird had bigger ideas. He saw Smithson’s gift as the means to develop a national museum. The people accepted his vision being that it coincided with the growing sense of nationalism at the time. In 1878 congress had given responsibility for the U.S National Museum to the Smithsonian Institution.
168 Years Later
Since 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has become everything and more that James Smithson had dreamed of. What would he think of today if he saw what his bequest had led to? He created the nations leading and largest museum and research institution. We are now at our 12th secretary, G. Wayne Clough. There is also an image of him in the items section of my Omeka site. He still has plans to keep the institution growing. He has initiated the development of a new strategic plan and launched a program to digitize the Smithsonian’s resources. He also over saw several major openings at the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian Institution will continue to grow and enhance with the current secretary as well as the secretaries to come.