NO. 182 1 RICHARD RUSH — ABLER 245 



Lippincott Company of Philadelphia, in 1857. This little book, by 

 the way, was largely based upon a collection of letters, mostly 

 domestic and personal, addressed to Tobias Lear, the faithful friend 

 and private secretary to Washington when President. Mr, Rush 

 said: 



"Mrs. Lear first informed me of these letters ten or twelve years ago, when 

 in Washington. ... I brought them home as requested, being then too 

 much engaged in the business of the Smithsonian Institution as one of the 

 Regents on its first organization, to examine them while in Washington." 



At the meeting of the Board of Regents held on December 17, 

 1847, ^ resolution was introduced, reciting that, as Mr. Rush had 

 been appointed Minister to France, a joint resolution be introduced 

 into Congress for the appointment of a Regent to fill this vacancy, 

 and that on the other hand the Board of Regents recommend to the 

 establishinent the election of Mr. Rush as an honorary member of 

 the Institution, and furthermore that the then Chancellor, George M. 

 Dallas, be deputed to propose Mr. Rush for this office. There is no 

 record, however, of this action having been carried through. 



Mr. Rush early became interested in a building for the Institution, 

 and in a letter from Philadelphia, May 20, 1847, to Mr. Owen, he 

 refers to the work of the building committee generally, and adds : 



"On the eve of my departure on the French mission I cannot lose this op- 

 portunity of saying with what constant interest I shall continue to follow up 

 the proceedings of the Smithsonian Regents ; and of adding, that if it ever be 

 thought I could render the least service to the Institution, while in Paris, it 

 would afford me the greatest pleasure to be called upon." 



Mr. Rush returned, however, in time to actually take part in the 

 work of the building committee, and his signature is appended to 

 all its reports. In 1853 he was appointed a member of the special 

 committee on the distribution of the income. 



In all the discussions in the year 1855, relative to the division of 

 authority between the Secretary and the Board of Regents, Mr. Rush 

 stood steadily for the authority of the Secretary over all his assist- 

 ants, and thus again, by his far-sightedness, aided greatly in placing 

 the executive work of the Institution upon a firm foundation. He 

 was a member of the committee to represent the Board of Regents 

 before the joint committee of the House and Senate appointed to 

 investigate the Institution, at the instance of Rufus Choate. 



At the meeting of the Board January 28, i860, Mr. Rush's death 

 was announced and Senator Pearce made the following remarks : 



Since the last meeting of the Board of Regents, as announced by the Secre- 

 tary, one of its earliest and most distinguished members, the Hon. Richard 

 Rush, has departed this life. 



