The Board of Regents 61 



must be residents of the city of Washington. The presid- 

 ing officer of the Board of Regents is the Chancellor of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, who is elected by the Board of 

 Regents from among their own number. This office has, 

 however, always been held either by^ the Vice- President or 

 by the Chief Justice. 1 



The executive officer of the Board of Regents is the Sec- 

 retary of the Institution, who is elected by them. The duties 

 and responsibilities of Secretary are such as in other institu- 

 tions usually belong to the office of Director : the name by 

 which this officer is designated is that which in Washington 

 is associated with the highest grade of executive responsibil- 

 ity. The Secretary makes all appointments on the staff, the 

 members of which are technically his "assistants." He is re- 

 sponsible for the expenditure and disbursement of all funds of 

 the Institution, is the legal custodian of all its property, and, 

 ex officio, its librarian and the keeper of its museum. 



He presents to the Regents an annual report upon the 

 operations, expenditures, and condition of the Establishment, 

 which is transmitted by the Board to Congress for publica- 

 tion. By a special act of Congress in 1879 and amended in 

 1884, an Acting Secretary is provided for, in case of the ab- 

 sence or disability of the Secretary, the designation being left 

 with the Chancellor of the Institution. 



l Vice- President Dallas was the first Chan- filled by the Vice-President. And "when I 

 cellor, and was succeeded by Vice-President accepted it I regarded the appointment as a 

 Fillmore. When Mr. Fillmore was elevated temporary one. The reason for the appoint- 

 to the Presidency of the United States, in ment has now happily ceased, and I desire to 

 1850, Chief Justice Taney was elected Chan- give the Regents an opportunity of restoring 

 cellor. In 1857 Mr. Taney resigned the the original plan of organization, in which I 

 place on the ground that the Vice-President, fully concurred when it was adopted." Mr. 

 the highest in rank of the officers of the gov- Breckinridge, Vice-President of the United 

 eminent who are ex officio Regents, was the States, who was present at this meeting, 

 proper person to preside. " Unfortunate moved that the present Chancellor, Chief Jus- 

 events," he continued, " have for some time tice Taney, be reelected to that office. The 

 past left the government without a Vice-Pres- precedent thus established of electing the 

 ident elected by the people. And when that Chief Justice to be Chancellor of the Institu- 

 office was vacant the Regents conferred on tion has never since been abandoned, 

 me the office, which had always before been 



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