32 2 Memorial of George Brown Goode. 



These publications have had their influence for good in many ways, 

 Ijut, in addition to this, a Hbrary much more than equal in value to the 

 outlay has, through their buying power, come into the possession of the 

 nation. 



In addition to all this, a large amount of material has been acquired 

 for the Museum by direct expenditure from the private fund of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. The value of the collections thus acquired is 

 estimated to be more than equal to the whole amount of the Smithsonian 

 bequest. 



The early history of the Museum was much like that of the library. 

 It was not until 1858 that it became the authorized depository of the 

 .scientific collections of the Government, and it was not until after 1876 

 that it was officially recognized as the National Mu.seum of the United 

 States. 



But for the provident forethought of the organizers of the Smith.so- 

 nian Institution the United States would probably .still be without even 

 a reputable nucleus for a national museum or a .scientific library. 



For nearly half a century the Institution has been the object of the 

 watchful care of many of America's most enlightened public men. Vice- 

 Presidents Fillmore and Dallas, and Roger B. Taney, Salmon P. Cha.se, 

 Morrison R. Waite, and Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justices of the United 

 States, have in succession occuj^ied the Chancellor's chair. George Ban- 

 croft, John C. Breckinridge, Lewis Ca.ss, Rufus Choate, Samuel S. Cox, 

 Schuyler Colfax, Garrett Davis, JefTerson Davis, Stephen A. Douglas, 

 William H. Enghsh, William P. Fcssenden, James A. Garfield, Hanni- 

 bal Hamlin, Henry W. Hilliard, George P. Marsh, James M. Mason, 

 Justin S. Morrill, Robert Dale Owen, James A. Pearce, William C. 

 Pre.ston, Richard Ru.sh, General W. T. Sherman, layman Trumbull, and 

 William A. Wheeler have been at various times leaders in the delibera- 

 tions of the Board of Regents. 



The representatives of science on the Board, Professor Aga.ssiz, Pro- 

 fessor Bache, Professor Coppee, Professor Dana, General Delafield, Pro- 

 fessor Felton, Professor Gray, Professor McLean, General Meigs, Presi- 

 dent Porter, General Totten, and Dr. Welling, have usually held office 

 for long periods of years, and have given to its affairs the most careful 

 attention and thought. 



The relation of the Smithsonian Institution to the Government has 

 been unique and unparalleled elsewhere. No one will question the asser- 

 tion that the results of its work have been far wider than those which its 

 annual reports ha\'e ever attempted to show forth. 



During the administration of Van Buren and the succeeding ones, 

 governmental science, stinnilated by Bache, Henry, and Maury, scien- 

 tific administrators of a new and more vigorous tj'pe than had been pre- 

 vioasly known in Wa.shington, rapidly advanced, and prior to 1861 the 

 institutions then existing had made material progress. 



