Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16

heavily endowed scientific establishment has
rarved for Itself a place of international dis
sinction.
Because of the broad language employed by
the British born donor there were 10 years of
intermittent debate In Congress as TO whether
the bequeSt should be accepted and what form
the projected institution should take. In the
fundamental act creating the institution Con-
greSS provided that the President of the United
States the Chief Justice and members of the
cabinet should be the establishment" but
that there should also be q governing board OF
regents composed of the Vice President the
Chief Justice three persons designated by the
President of the Senate, three by the Speaker
of the House and six by Congress
throughout the many decades which have
passed Smithson's wishes have been carried out
with a constant scFupulous regard for the in
tent of the founder. In doing this the best
results have flowed from a rigid construction
of his own words, SO briefly eloquent of his
vision, and from q division Of the activities Of
the institution into two great distinct but
parallel paths the increase" and the "diffu-
sion" of knowledge.
The activities Of the Smithsonian Institution
have covered an amazing range from the maiu@
tenance of great museum and operation OF
the great National geological Park to the In@
ternational Exchange Service, the agency of tbs
United States Government for the exchange Of
scientific, literary and governmental publica%
lions with foreign governments, institutions ana
individual researchers receiving and dispatcEnA
ing more than 900 pounds of printed mattee
annually h
A BOUT the original Smithsonian buildings
the dignif1ed old 'brownstone structure Oh
the Mall In Washington in the presence o.
which one seems transported into the atmoae
phere Of an ancient English univerSity-a4N
grouped three other important units Of tN$
institution. T.
These are the National Museum, the ARG.
Wl,,sU.{
Of Art. In these four buildings are gathered
collections of scientific, historical and cutura1
objects not duplicated anywhere else in tn
world, ranging from Ljndberghs Spirit of Sc
Louis and other famous aircraft to the mounted
remains Of prehistoric animals, from Whistle&
etchngS to the gowns worn by the wives %
all the Presidents, fr0m thousands of relics 06
every American war to original models OF ina
ventions which have altered the whole courSe
Of civilization. The diversity of the collections
seems infinite.
An astrophysical observatory investigates
solar radiation and other natural phenomena
from stations In Washington, California, Chile
and West Africa. The library Of the instituA
ton contains nearly a million volumes of thu
transactions Of learned societies and scientthe
books, periodicals, pamphlets and charts. Th1
institution also sponsors numerous explorations
and research expeditions to the far corners a.
the earth.
Many very eminent men have served upon
bers Of the Government and from civil hfA
Among them may be found Louis AgassiA
Alexander Dallas Bache, George Bancroft
Rufus Choate, James Dwight Dana Asa Gray
Gen. Montgomery g. Meigs, Noah Porter, Cen
William Tecumseh sherman Alexander Graham
Bell, various chief justices, and Presidents F1l1A
more johnson, Arthur, Roosevelt and Coolidge
and the president of the COnfederacy, JeffersoQ
Davis
In its long career the institution had had onIV
five directors. The first was Joseph Henry
world famous for his discoveries in electricity
who ruled from 1046 to 1878. He was succeeded
by Spencer Fullerton Baird the distinguished
naturalist. Upon his death IN 1887, Samuel
PierpOnt Langley. pioneer Of the new astronouA
and in aviation. took the helm. The fourtM
secretary was Dr.. Charles Doolittle WalcoA
elected in 1897. After serving more than q
years he turned over the reins to the preseu4
secretary, O. q. Abbott
Is
WHEN 6mithSOn died June rs, 1929, he W.
buried In the little English cemetery OH
the heights Of San Benigno In q tomb which
originally bore no reference to him as tn
founder Of the Smithsonian Institution. EvensA
tualy the institution placed tablet remedyinM
this omission, surrounded the tomb with evDA
dence Of continued care and placed in still furs
ther remembrance q similar tablet in the Eng
llsh church OF the town. In 1900 it was Learned
that the Genoa authorities intended to abolish
the cemetery and in 1904 Smithson's remaina
were removed to Washington where the sar<
cophagus Is gazed upon by tens of thousands ID
visitors every year.
Into this tomb the weary Smithson carried
the secret Of the exact motive which act,lated
him in mentioning the United States as hfs
residuary legatee rather than any other gova
eminent or institution He is not known ID
have had any friend or correspondent in NORTH
America n of ana