834 



The Smithsonian Institution 



Dec. 3, Joseph Henry elected Secretary of the Institution. 



Dec. 4, Board of Regents adopted a plan of organization for the Institution. 



Dec. 23, Site for the Smithsonian building selected. 



1847 



Jan. 26, Board of Regents " requested the Secretary to nominate an assistant who shall 

 be librarian." The Secretary nominated Charles C. Jewett for Assistant 

 Secretary acting as librarian, who was then elected. 



Jan. 28, Plans of Architect James Ren wick, of New York, for the Smithsonian building 

 adopted. 



Feb. jr, Publication authorized by Regents of" Hints on Public Architecture," by Robert 

 D. Owen, a work chiefly descriptive of the Smithsonian building. 



Feb. 25, Lectures " On the construction and use of the Rosse telescope," by William 

 Scoresby, begun in Odd Fellows' Hall, being the first delivered under the 

 auspices of the Institution. 



March ig, Contract for construction of building awarded. 



April if, Work begun on laying out and beautifying the grounds (nineteen acres) by plant- 

 ing trees and shrubs, and erection of fences. 



May i, Corner-stone of the Smithsonian building laid. 



Sept. 9, Seal of the Institution, with likeness of James Smithson, adopted. 



Dec. 13, Program of organization proposed by Secretary Henry adopted. 



1848 



Aug. i, Collection of chemical and physical apparatus of Robert Hare presented by him 

 to the Institution. 



Aug. 12, Act for the improvement and care of the Smithsonian grounds by the Govern- 

 ment, passed by Congress. 



Dec. i, "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley," the first volume of the Smith- 

 sonian Contributions to Knowledge published and distributed. It was decided 

 that no copyright should be taken of the publications. 



July i, System of meteorological observations established, in connection with which it 

 was proposed by Secretary Henry to use the magnetic telegraph in the in- 

 vestigation of atmospherical phenomena, and the notice of approaching storms 

 given to distant observers. 



1849 



March 7, Vice-President Millard Fillmore elected Chancellor. 



April 6, Course of four lectures on " Modern Athens " by Professor Koeppen of Denmark 

 begun. They were delivered in Carusi's Hall. 



April 10, East wing of the building completed and occupied by the lecture-room and lab- 

 oratory, and apparatus rooms. 



April 10, Library transferred to eastern range of the Smithsonian building from the Patent 

 Office. 



April jo, Course of six lectures on "Geology" by Edward Hitchcock begun; being the 



first given in the building of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 System of international exchanges inaugurated. 



May n, Reports on the progress of science begun. 



June 2f, Appropriation made for collections in natural history. 



Aug. i, First meeting of the " Establishment of the Smithsonian Institution " held, Presi- 

 dent Zachary Taylor in the chair. 



1850 



Jan. 22, Explorations under the auspices of the Institution, or aided by its funds, insti- 

 tuted, especially in Oregon, California, and Mexico. 



July 5, Nomination by Secretary Henry of Spencer Fullerton Baird as Assistant Secre- 

 tary in the Department of Natural History, to take charge of the Museum and 

 aid in the publications, etc., approved by the Regents. 



Sept. 30, Smithsonian grounds laid out anew, under the direction of Andrew T. Downing. 



Dec. 31, East and west wings and ranges of the building finished, and the lecture-room 

 enlarged in the east wing so as to accommodate one thousand persons. 



1851 



Jan. 7, Chief Justice Taney elected Chancellor. 



Jan. 18, Memorial to Congress presented by the Regents asking permission to increase 



the permanent Smithsonian fund to $715,000. 

 Dec. 31, Exterior of the Smithsonian building, including the towers, completed. 



