The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-10
TODAY IN HISTORY
The Smithsonian Institute Established.
WEDNESDAY,, AUGUST 10. 1910

i
On August 10. 1876. the Smithsonian
| Institution in Washington was estab
| llshed by an act OF congress. II was
brought about in accordance with the
VIII Of James Smithson, who bequeaIhed
| the rcverSion of an estate amounting TO
$5l5. 1863 to the United States 70 be de-
voted TO the increase and diffusion OF
knowledge among men Smithson was
an Englishman well versed in various
branches OF natural philosophy and par
uculerly In chemistry and mineralogy.
| He died at Genoa. Italy, on June 81. 1929.
Smthson left his money first To his
| nephew. Henry James Hungerrord and
In case he died without issue. II was
| to go TO establishing the Washington in
stitution. Hungerford died in 1885. and
being childess the United States lega-
! tion In London was notified OF the be-
was for ten years debated in congress,
| but ultimately the trust WAS accepted
and congress created an establishment
consisting Of the president and the mem
| bcrs OF his cabinet. who intrustcd the
management OF the institution to a board
| OF regents consisting OF the vice presl-
dent and the chief justice of the United
States, three regents to he appointed
| by the president Of the senate, three by
| the speaker of the house OF representa-
| tives. and six 10 be selected by con-
| gress, two OF whom should be residents
| Of the District of Columbia.
The first meeting following the es-
! tabllshing OF tho institution WAS held
| on September 7. 18i6, and elected Joseph
4
| OF secretary. under whose guidance the
| institution took shape. He prepared a
programme Of organization which was
adopted In lSi7 and has since been the
plan under which the institution has been
conducted
Under Henry was begun the construc-
ton of a building designed by. James
Renwick in the Norman style Of archl-
lecture, which has since been the home
OF the Smithsonian Institution, a library
was formed by exchange and purchase
and materials for a museum collected
Original research was fostered. One OF
| the first subjects to be studied under
| the Smithsonian Institution was the
phenomena OF storms and the investi-
cations of Espy and others led to the
| establishment of a tclegraphlc weather
service which subsequently developed
Into the weather bureau,
The material collected by the various
| exploring expeditions and the Paciilc
railway surveys was deposited with thc
| institution, and that likewise led IN
states national museum. The diffusion
| OF knowledge was inaugurated by the
issuing OF various publications, many OF
| them works too expensive for private
enterprise. The annual reports OF The
board OF regents began In lSfT and have
been published annually since.
In 1851 a system OF international ex-
changes was established primarily for
the circulation OF the Smithsonian publ
cations. but In 1867 the duty OF cXchang-
ing official documents was assigned 70
this service by the government f.alIy
in its history the Smithsonian 1nstltu-
ton displayed an interest In American
anthropology. chiefly in the branch OF
ethnology. and with special reference "a
American Indians. Beginning with 1867
various, exploring parties were sent out
especially to be mentioned being the
men chosen 10 explore the Grand canyon
OF the Colorado.
To the original beQuest OF Smithson
other gifts and bequests, including over
5000 600 from Thomas G.. Hodgkins have
been added, making total OF SS3, ooo as
a permanent fund OF the institution,
which is deposited with the treasurer OF
the United states and yields an income
OF 6 per cent.