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Smithsonian History

On this day in 1797, Joseph Henry, the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, was born.

Perhaps the country's best known physicist and a well-respected figure in European as well as American scientific circles, Joseph Henry (1797–1878) became the Smithsonian's first Secretary, or chief executive, in 1846. Henry's vision for the Smithsonian centered around his interpretation of Smithson's will as a call for a scientific research establishment.

Supported by fellow scientist and Smithsonian Regent Alexander Dallas Bache, Henry strove to develop the Smithsonian into the nation's first major research institute for science. During Secretary Henry's tenure, the Smithsonian gained widespread acclaim not only as the country's foremost scientific research institute but also as a facilitator of international scientific dialogue.

Source: Smithsonian Institution Libraries. From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution online exhibition at http://www.sil.si.edu/Exhibitions/Smithson-to-Smithsonian/index.html.

Pictured: Walter Ingalls, 1805–1874, Joseph Henry, no date, oil, 36 3/8 x 30 5/8 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Walter Ingalls.