The Smithsonian Celebrates 175 Years of Progress

by Joann Stevens, Guest Blogger

On August 10th, 2021 the Smithsonian celebrated its 175^th Anniversary as an educational institution with a mission to advance the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”  Led today by Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III  the institution continues to reflect the nation’s history and evolution.

When reviewing some of the SI highlights in the 175^th Anniversary history, I couldn’t help but note some interesting ironies between the past and the present in how far Washington, DC, the nation, and the world has evolved. Consider this:

• Joseph Henry, the Smithsonian’s first Secretary, was a physicist and internationally respected scientist. But Henry’s advocacy for scientific research was not without detractors. Most people saw him as a “visionary” but some Americans criticized Henry’s focus on “the risky and elitist venture of scientific research.”

• As Secretary, Henry received a $3,500 annual salary and $500 rent allowance. Not a bad paying gig if you consider the salary of government employee George M. Dallas of Pennsylvania, who was president of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents. Dallas, who was also Vice President of the United States, earned $5,000 annually.

• A key role of the regents was to appoint the Smithsonian’s first employee. The distinguished looking William McPeake was appointed doorkeeper and messenger for the board at a salary of $1 a day. The Smithsonian Archives notes, however, that “The Journal of Proceedings of the Board of Regents and Joseph Henry’s correspondence both spell his name as McPeak, however, census data and his obituary establish that it is spelled McPeake.” Can we chalk that up to no Spell Check in the 1840s?

• Among the geographically and socially diverse members of the SI board of regents was Chief Justice Roger B. Taney , a controversial and complex figure who ruled on the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision

Under the statute creating the Smithsonian the Board of Regents were to be comprised of the Vice President and Chief Justice of the United States, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., three Senators, three Representatives, and – to ensure geographic diversity-- six citizens from across the United States, two of whom must be from the District of Columbia, and no two others from the same state.  (The statute was twice amended to remove the Mayor from the Board and create three additional citizen positions).  The current SI Board of Regents showcases its evolution.

A photography of the 2013 Regents, which appeared in a Fortune magazine feature on leading non-profit boards, reflects its diversity and the scope of Smithsonian’s collections through the variety of artifacts depicted there.

Note the silver haired regent in the blue tie sitting on the vintage sofa.  It seems that SI regents who are Vice Presidents with Pennsylvania roots go on to even bigger leadership roles. 

(From left, Secretary G. Wayne Clough, France Cordova, Shirley Ann Jackson, John W. McCarter Jr., Patty Stonesifer, Sen. Jack Reed, David M. Rubenstein, Vice President Joseph Biden, Ambassador Barbara M. Barrett, Roger W. Sant, Rep. Tom Cole, Steve Case, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Sen. Thad Cochran, Robert P. Kogod, Rep. Xavier Becerra, and Senator Patrick Leahy).