The Three Secretaries 14 1 



was with a knowledge of this fact that, at their meeting of 

 December 3, he was elected to the Secretaryship, after the 

 following resolutions had been passed: 



" Resolved, That it is essential, for the advancement of the 

 proper interests of the trust, that the Secretary of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution be a man possessing weight of character, 

 and a high grade of talent; and that it is further desirable 

 that he possess eminent scientific and general acquirements ; 

 that he be a man capable of advancing science and promoting 

 letters by original research and effort, well qualified to act as 

 a respected channel of communication between the Institution 

 and scientific and literary individuals and societies in this and 

 foreign countries ; and, in a word, a man worthy to represent 

 before the world of science and of letters the institution over 

 which this Board presides." 



" It does not need to be said," writes Doctor Welling, " that 

 Professor Henry did not seek this appointment. It came to 

 him unsolicited, but it came to him from the Board of Regents, 

 not only by the free choice of its members, but also at the 

 suggestion and with the approval of European men of science 

 like Sir David Brewster, Faraday, and Arago, as also of 

 American scientific men like Bache and Silliman and Hare. 

 I well remember to have heard the late George M. Dallas (a 

 member of the constituent Board of Regents by virtue of his 

 office as Vice-President of the United States) make the re- 

 mark on a public occasion, immediately after the election of 

 Professor Henry as Director of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 that the Board had not had the slightest hesitation in tender- 

 ing the appointment to him ' as being peerless among the 

 recognized heads of American science.' ' 



He accepted the election on December 7, and on the 2ist 

 appeared at a meeting of the Board of Regents and en- 

 tered upon the duties of his office. The first duty imposed 



10* 



