Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an education institution and of research associated with a vast complex with 19 museums and seven research centres mainly located at Washington, founded and managed by the US government

A monthly Magazine, published by the institution, is also called Smithsonian .

History

The will

The Smithsonian Institution was rested by the British scientist James Smithson for the promotion and the diffusion of the knowledge.

In its open will in 1826, Smithson establishes that if its nephew, Henry James Hungerford, had suddenly died without having descendants, its fortune would then be allotted “to the United States of America to found, in Washington, under the name of Smithsonian Institution an institution for the increase and the diffusion of the Knowledge for all the men. ”. With died of Hungerford in 1835, the president Andrew Jackson informs the congress of this donation which rises with: 500000 USD (either approximately 10 USD million in XXIe century by taking account of inflation).

The reasons of this donation remain still mysterious today. Smithson indeed never went to the United States and does not seem to have maintained correspondence with an American scientist. Certain historians advance as possible reason a revenge of Smithson against the rigidity of the British system which prohibited to him to bear the name of his/her father under pretext which he was an illegitimate child. Another explanation could be the interest which it always carried to the ideals of Démocratie.

Creation

In 1843, the Congrès publishes an act signed like law the August 10th 1846 by the president James Knox Polk officially establishing the institution in the form of a partnership between deprived and public.

When in 1842 the forwarding led by Charles Wilkes returns after four years of voyage in the Pacifique of the South, the institution acquires the whole of the specimens and the collected samples which will be presented to the public starting from 1858. Thus, it positions like the window of the greatest scientific exhibitions and as guard of the national treasures. This image will be then reinforced by various forwardings, in particular in Alaska in 1859.

In 1855, the institution establishes its districts in the Smithsonian Institution Building built on the Evil by James Renwick, Jr. and its specific architecture quickly did called it the Castle by its occupants.

For the anecdote, the Astéroïde (3773) Smithsonian was named thus in the honor of the institution.

Administration

The institution, according to the law voted by the congress, makes functionally and juridically part of the federal government and more of two thirds of the 6 300 employees are civils servant. In the event of legal procedure, it is represented by agents of the department of justice and the possible financial judgments are dealt with by the federal treasure. Thus, the institution is regarded legally by the courts of justice as belonging to the government of the United States (in particular, it is subjected to the conditions of the Tucker Act and of the Federal Wrong Claims Act and, in the event of litigation on the right of Copyright, the business is judged in front of the United States Court off Federal Claims.

The official person in charge of the institution is named Chancelier (litt. Chancellor , term employed to designate the person in charge of a university). This station was always occupied by the Minister for Justice. The go concern are managed by a college of 17 members and the decisions are made by a Quorum of eight of them.

Eights of the members of this office are official personalities of the United States, namely:

the vice-president (it is besides one of its only official responsibilities)
the Minister for justice
three senators named by the vice-president
three members of the room of the Representatives, named by the Speaker of the room.

The nine remaining members are people not forming part of the congress and are named by resolution of the congress. All the members can ask for the refunding of their expenses related to their task, but their function is not remunerated. The management from day to day of the institution is supervised by a secretary , paid and chosen among the members of the office.

List secretaries of the institution

Museums, galleries and research centres

As indicated higher, 19 museums or galleries are directly related to the institution, gathering more than 142 million objects and specimens. Moreover, it manages several research centres and organizes temporary exhibitions, as well as specific conferences and other events. Lastly, the institution divides its treasures with more than 90 other museums in 23 different states.

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