Every Collection has a StoryThe Archives holds records that document the Smithsonian’s people, events, buildings, and research. The history of the Smithsonian is a vital part of the history of American experience, scientific exploration, and international cultural understanding.
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Legislation appointing Jeannine Smith Clark to the Board of Regents is signed by President Ronald Reagan. Clark served as a volunteer prior to her tenure as a Regent, which lasted from 1983 to 1994. Among her many contributions to the Smithsonian, Clark chaired the Cultural Education Committee, established in 1987, to consider questions of representation of minorities and sensitivity to cultural pluralism in the Smithsonian's exhibit programs.More
The Smithsonian’s Second Secretary Spencer Fullerton Baird dedicated his career to creating a great national museum at the Smithsonian, the U.S. National Museum that opened in 1881. Learn about Baird and the fulfillment of his dreams. More
