PREFACE 



In iyg6, George Washingto7t, m his farewell address to his 

 fellow-countrymen, said : "■Promote, then, as an object of pri- 

 mary importajice, institutiojts for the general diffusion of 

 knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government 

 gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opiiiion 

 should be enlightened^ Thirty years later an E7iglishma7i, 

 James Smithson, as though influenced by these words, be- 

 queathed the whole of his property to the Uitited States of 

 America in trust '' to foicnd at Washington an establishment 

 for the increase a7id diffusion of knowledge among meny John 

 Quincy Adams, in pre s editing to the Natio7ial House of Repre- 

 sentatives the first report of the Select Committee on the mes- 

 sage of the President announcing the Smithson Bequest, ex- 

 horted his colleagues in these woi^ds: ^^ Let the trust of James 

 Smithson to the United States of America be faithfully exe- 

 cuted by their representatives in Congress ; let the result ac- 

 complish his object : ' the increase and di^usion of knowledge 

 among men! " 



The Act of Congress establishing the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion was sighted by President Polk on Atcgtist lo, 18^6, and 

 on September 7 the Board of Regents held its first meetijig. 

 The past year marks the close of the first half century of the 

 operatiofis of the Institution. This volume presents the sto7y 

 of the realization of one of the desires of Washington, through 

 the will of Smithson, the wise legislation of Congress, and the 

 devotion of those upon whom the management of the Smithso- 

 nian Institutio7i has devolved. 



WILLIAM MCKINLEY. 



The Executive Mansion, 

 Washington, June 22, i8gy. 



