38 The Smithsonian Institution 



exerted upon Congress during the six years from its organi- 

 zation until the Smithsonian Act was eventually passed, and 

 resulted in the final engrafting of a national museum upon 

 the Smithsonian project, and also in the addition of various 

 features of organization which have since become such char- 

 acteristic elements in the plan of the Smithsonian Institution. 



The controlling mind in this movement was undoubtedly 

 that of the Honorable Joel R. Poinsett, of South Carolina, 

 who was Secretary of the Navy in 1840, and at whose resi- 

 dence the society was organized. Mr. Poinsett was, under 

 the first plan of organization, senior director, and occupied 

 the chair at every meeting until, in 1841, under an amended 

 constitution, he was elected its first president. Notwithstand- 

 ing the fact that officers were annually elected, he told Mr. 

 Adams soon after this election that he should for two years 

 to come preside over the National Institution, a clear indica- 

 tion of the controlling influence which he consciously exerted. 

 He was in fact reelected to the presidency at each annual 

 meeting until 1845, when, having declined the candidacy, he 

 was elected an honorary member, and Senator Woodbury, of 

 New Hampshire, became president in his place. From this 

 period the decline in the prosperity of the society was marked. 



It is certain that as early as 1838, when the bequest was 

 first received, Mr. Poinsett was thinking seriously about its 

 disposal. This is made clear by an entry in the diary of John 

 Quincy Adams, under date of December 8, in which the ex- 

 President describes his interview and was evidently impressed 

 with the idea that Mr. Poinsett did not give him his entire 

 confidence. 



In April, 1839, they discussed the matter again, and in 

 1 84 1 Mr. Adams wrote again in his diary: "April i. Mr. 

 Poinsett called upon me and now fully disclosed his pro- 

 ject, which is to place the investment and disposal of the 



