Smithsonian Institution

Name	Smithsonian Institution
Caption	Institution's headquarters.
Imagesize	300
Established	August 10, 1846
Location	Washington, D.C.
Secretary	G. Wayne Clough
Publictransit	Smithsonian, L'Enfant Plaza Maryland Avenue exit.
Website	http://www.si.edu/

The Smithsonian Institution ( ) is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities and magazines. While most of its 19 museums, zoo, and nine research centers facilities are located in Washington, D.C., sites are also located in New York City, Virginia, Panama, and elsewhere (see below). It has over 136 million items in its collections, publishes two magazines named Smithsonian (monthly) and Air & Space (bimonthly), and employs the Smithsonian Police to protect visitors, staff, and the property of the museums. The Institution's current logo is a stylized sun. The Smithsonian Institution is the largest museum complex in the world.

History

The Smithsonian Institution was founded for the "increase and diffusion" of knowledge from a bequest to the United States by the British scientist James Smithson (1765–1829), who never visited the new nation. In Smithson's will, he stated that should his nephew, Henry James Hungerford, die without heirs, the Smithson estate would go to the government of the United States for creating an "Establishment for the increase & diffusion of Knowledge among men". After the nephew died without heirs in 1835, President Andrew Jackson informed Congress of the bequest, which amounted to 104,960 gold sovereigns, or US$500,000 ($10,100,997 in 2008 U.S. dollars after inflation). The money was invested in shaky state bonds, which quickly defaulted. After heated debate in Congress, former President John Quincy Adams successfully argued to restore the lost funds with interest. Congress also debated whether the federal government had the authority to accept the gift. Congress accepted the legacy bequeathed to the nation and pledged the faith of the United States to the charitable trust on July 1, 1836. Many of the Institution's buildings are historical and architectural landmarks. When the Detroit philanthropist Charles Lang Freer donated his private collection to the Smithsonian and funds to build the museum to hold it (which was named the Freer Gallery), it was among the Smithsonian's first major donations from a private individual.

Though the Smithsonian's first Secretary, Joseph Henry, wanted the Institution to be a center for scientific research, before long it also became the depository for various Washington and U.S. government collections. The United States Exploring Expedition by the U.S. Navy circumnavigated the globe between 1838 and 1842. The voyage amassed thousands of animal specimens, an herbarium of 50,000 samples, shells and minerals, tropical birds, jars of seawater, and ethnographic artifacts from the South Pacific. These specimens and artifacts became part of the Smithsonian collections, as did those collected by several military and civilian surveys of the American West, including the Mexican Boundary Survey and Pacific Railroad Surveys, which assembled many Native American artifacts and natural history specimens.

The Institution became a magnet for natural scientists from 1857 to 1866, who formed a group called the Megatherium Club. Many scientists of a variety of disciplines work at the various Smithsonian museums, which have become centers for research.

The asteroid 3773 Smithsonian, discovered in 1984, is named in honor of the Institution.

The 2009 film was the first commercial production to be given rights to use the Smithsonian Institution's name.

Administration

The Smithsonian Institution is established as a trust instrumentality by act of Congress, and it is functionally and legally a body of the federal government. More than two-thirds of the Smithsonian's workforce of some 6,300 persons are employees of the federal government. The Smithsonian is represented by attorneys from the United States Department of Justice in litigation, and any money judgments against the Smithsonian are paid from the federal treasury.

The legislation that created the Smithsonian Institution (approved by Congress August 10, 1846) called for the creation of a Board of Regents to govern and administer the organization. This 17-member board meets at least four times a year and includes as ex officio members the Chief Justice of the United States and the Vice President of the United States. The nominal head of the Institution is the Chancellor, an office which has traditionally been held by the Chief Justice. In September 2007, the Board created the position of Chair of the Board of Regents, a position held by Patricia Q. Stonesifer of Washington State.

Other members of the Board of Regents are three members of the U.S. House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House; three members of the Senate, appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate; and nine citizen members, nominated by the Board and approved by the Congress in a joint resolution signed by the President of the United States. Regents who are representatives and senators serve for the duration of their elected term. Citizen Regents serve a maximum of two six-year terms. Regents are compensated on a part-time basis. The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Smithsonian is the Secretary, who is appointed by the Board of Regents. There have been 12 Secretaries since the Smithsonian was established. The Secretary also serves as secretary to the Board of Regents but is not a voting member of that body. The Secretary of the Smithsonian has the privilege of the floor at the United States Senate.

Secretaries of the Smithsonian

#Joseph Henry, 1846–1878 #Spencer Fullerton Baird, 1878–1887 #Samuel Pierpont Langley, 1887–1906 #Charles Doolittle Walcott, 1907–1927 #Charles Greeley Abbot, 1928–1944 #Alexander Wetmore, 1944–1952 #Leonard Carmichael, 1953–1964 #Sidney Dillon Ripley, 1964–1984 #Robert McCormick Adams, 1984–1994 #Ira Michael Heyman, 1994–1999 #Lawrence M. Small, 2000–2007 #Cristián Samper, (acting) 2007–2008 #G. Wayne Clough, 2008-

The Colombian biologist Cristián Samper was the first Latin American to hold the position. Born in Costa Rica, he was raised in Colombia, the country of his father, Armando Samper, from one year of age. He received his Bachelor's degree in Biology from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He is one of the founders of the Von Humboldt Institute in Colombia. Since 2003 he had been the director of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C..

Smithsonian museums

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Washington, D.C.

Anacostia Community Museum

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (Mall Museum)

Arts and Industries Building (Mall Museum)

Freer Gallery of Art (Mall Museum)

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Mall Museum)

National Air and Space Museum (Mall Museum)

National Museum of African American History and Culture (not yet built)

National Museum of African Art (Mall Museum)

National Museum of American History (Mall Museum)

National Museum of the American Indian (Mall Museum)

National Museum of Natural History (Mall Museum)

National Portrait Gallery

National Postal Museum

S. Dillon Ripley Center (Mall Museum)

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Institution Building

Smithsonian National Zoological Park (National Zoo)

The National Gallery of Art is affiliated with the Smithsonian, and is run by a separate charter.

New York, New York

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

National Museum of the American Indian's George Gustav Heye Center

Chantilly, Virginia

National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Leesburg, Virginia

Smithsonian Naturalist Center

In addition, there are 156 museums that are Smithsonian affiliates.

In November 2007, the Washington Post reported that internal criticism has been raised regarding the institution's handling of the exhibit on the Arctic. According to documents and e-mails, the exhibit and its associated presentation were edited at high levels to add "scientific uncertainty" regarding the nature and impact of global warming on the Arctic. Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian Cristián Samper was interviewed by the Post and claimed that the exhibit was edited because it contained conclusions that went beyond what could be proven by contemporary climatology. The Smithsonian is now a participant in the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

Copyright restrictions

The Smithsonian Institution provides access to its image collections for educational, scholarly and non-profit uses. Commercial uses are generally restricted unless permission is obtained. Smithsonian images fall into different copyright categories; some are protected by copyright, many are subject to license agreements or other contractual conditions, and some fall into the public domain, such as those prepared by Smithsonian employees as part of their official duties. The Smithsonian’s terms of use for its digital content, including images, are set forth at on the Smithsonian Web site.

In April 2006, the institution entered into an agreement of "first refusal" rights for its vast silent and public domain film archives with Showtime Networks. Critics contend this agreement effectively gives Showtime control over the film archives, as it requires filmmakers to obtain permission from the network to use extensive amounts of film footage from the Smithsonian archives.

The Smithsonian contends that independent producers continue to have unchanged access to the institution and its collections as they had prior to the agreement. The process to gain access to film at the Smithsonian remains the same. Since January 2006, independent producers have made more than 500 requests to film in the museums and collections, and/or to use archival footage and photos.

Funding

The Smithsonian Institution receives funding from the United States Government, through the House and Senate Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittees. During the 1995 Government Shutdown, the Smithsonian closed, due to lack of money to pay salaries. In 2007, there was controversy about Secretary Small's expenses and compensation. There is a plan to reduce a backlog in deferred maintenance. In 2010, the Deficit Commission recommended admission fees, which has been resisted.

Office of Protection Services (OPS)

The Smithsonian Office of Protection Services oversees security at the Smithsonian Facilities. The Secretary of the Smithsonian may designate employees to have Special Police Status to enforce regulations within the Smithsonian facilities and grounds as well as areas of the National Capital Parks in D.C.

According to , Smithsonian staff who are designated as Special police have arrest authority within the Smithsonian buildings and grounds, and may enforce laws and regulations for National Capital Parks together with the United States Park Police.

The Office of Protection Services has three main positions within the division, all of which are U.S. government positions:

Smithsonian Museum Protection Officers/Guards;

Smithsonian Museum Physical Security Specialists and Supervisory Physical Security Specialists; and

Smithsonian Zoological Park Police Officers are assigned to the National Zoo in the District Of Columbia.

See also

List of aircraft in the Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Ocean Portal

References

Further reading

Nina Burleigh, Stranger and the Statesman: James Smithson, John Quincy Adams, and the Making of America's Greatest Museum, The Smithsonian, HarperCollins, September 2003, hardcover, 288 pages, ISBN 0-06-000241-7

External links

Smithsonian Institution webpage

Smithsonian Collections Search Center webpage

Smithsonian Education webpage

Map of the museums from the Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Archives

Smithsonian Institution Libraries

The University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center presents The Smithsonian Scientific Series, a publicly accessible digital resource intended to enlighten and interest the general reader. It does not represent an attempt to summarize all science, or even all branches of science on which the Smithsonian can speak with authority. It will, however, acquaint the reader with the organization, history, and activities of the scientific institution which has grown up with the nation and fostered the nation's scientific activities. It is an introduction to the workings and achievements of the scientific method over a large field, and may open doors to some branches of science.

Smithsonian Networks webpage

Smithsonian Student Travel, an educational travel partnership.

To the Smithsonian or Bust: The Scientific Legacy of Nikola Tesla from Yale Scientific Magazine

Smithsonian Gem & Mineral Collection The Smithsonian Rocks

Smithsonian Science Lecture Series Dr. David L. Evans, Smithsonian Under Secretary for Science speaks

Category:1846 establishments Category:Cornerstone structures Category:History of museums Category:Members of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington Category:Museums in Washington, D.C. Category:Museum organizations