Evening star., 1946-03-24
Fall Celebration
To Bring to Mind
100. Year Strides

Park, because the American bison was
facing extinction.
1t is curious fact that two Of the
greatest benefactors of the Smithsonian
were Englishmen. First came the illus
trious Smithson, whose name is em-
bodied in the institutions title.
Richard Rush, former Secretary Of
the Treasury and eminent lawyer, was
sent by President Andrew jackson to
England to prosecute the claim for the
funds left by Smithson in his will. A
suit was entered in the Court of Chan
cery in England, and the money was
awarded to the United States. Mr.. Rush
was two years in England prosecuting
the case.
He returned to the United States with
some s5oS,0Oo in gold English sovereigns.
These were taken to the mint in Phila-
delphia and coined. Some of the fund
was held out to pay annuities to Smith
sons servants, as he had directed.
Thomas G. Hodgkins Qs03- 1892. gave
the institution $250000. A native OF
England, he was shipwrecked in India
as young man, without a friend, penni-
less and i'll. He returned to England,
went to Spain and in 1880 emigrated to
the United States, where he became .
successful businessman. man Of keen
intelligence, a scholar and thinker, as
well as a man of affairs, Mr.. Hodgkins
was particularly interested in the at
mosphere.
Charles L. Freer, railroad car manu-
facturer and art collector, who lived
from 1856 to 1919, gave his art collec-
ton and an endowment of $500, 900 to
the Smithsonian to found the Freer
Gallery Of Art. He left funds to add
to its collection of Oriental art. The
gallery purchases only the choicest and
has the best collection extant of Chinese
bronzes, officials say.
Mrs. Mary Vaux Walcott, widow Of
DR.. Charles D. Walcott, former sec
retary of the Smithsonian, died recently
and left $427 900 to the institution to b
used in research in geology and paleon-
tology-to study the fossils her hus-
band loved so well. She was renowned
painter of wild flowers.
Many other gifts of money and COL
lections have been made to the Smith
sonian in its long history.
Mellon Art Works
Valued at Millions
The National Gallery of Art, bureau
hut oly Se%.
by separate board of trustees, con-
tains masterpieces estimated to be
worth many millions Of dollars. No
exact figure is available. The building
alone, donated by the late Andrew w,
Mellon, former Secretary of the Treas
ury, cost $15,000,000. In addition, he
gave numerous art works-one painting
alone costing $1,000,0o0.
Included in the gallery's treasures
are paintings, tapestries, sculpture,
drawings and prints. The decorative
arts are represented by furniture, pot
terry, plates and religious objects.
Gifts are being added all the time.
Most famous among the donations are
the paintings and sculpture given by
Mr.. Mellon, the collection of paintings
and sculpture of the Italian schools
given by Samuel H. Kress and the COL
lection of paintings, sculpture and deco
rative arts bestowed by Joseph E.
Widener.
There is library of art which stu
dents and scholars may consult. The
gallery is visited by numerous copyists
artists who initiate the old masters,
Lectures are given to stimulate addi-
tional interest in the arts. Concerts
are another feature of the gallery's
varied activity.
For years, the Smithsonian sought
to establish National Gallery of Art.
Then through Mr.. Melons munifcence,
an appropriate structure became a real
ity. Mr.. Mellon hoped that it would at
tract gifts from other collectors so
that these works of art might be en-
joyed by all and would be lasting con-
tribution to the cultural life of the
Nation"
And so, through numerous benefac-
tions, dating back good many years,
the Smithsonian has materially aided
art and artists. In the coming century.
more treasures may be added to the
National Gallery of Art.
Smithsonian Secretary
Started Weather Bureau
The Smithsonian is credited with
fathering number Of present-day Gov
eminent agencies. 1t Is the forebear Of
the Weather Bureau, for early researches
into this phase of science were conducted
by Prof. Joseph Henry, first secretary of
the institution, who lived from 1893 to
1878.
Mr.. Henry launched a glorious CEN
tury OF service and education and
tribute to science and discovery. Thia
physicist and expert in electricity,
pursued studies in electro-magnetism
and discovered the intensity magnet,
without which telegraphy would have
been impossible. As a youth, he ap-
prenticed to matchmaker, but he loved
the theater and his taste in books was
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