US National Museum (1881-1911) Arts & Industries (1911-1950) Modernization (1950-1975) A&I Now (1975-    ) Historic Pictures of the Smithsonian Institution "Buildings of the Smithsonian" by the Office of Architectural History and Historic Preservation Other Exhibits on Smithsonian History Institutional History Division Smithsonian Institution Archives Smithsonian Institution Home

When the Arts & Industries Building opened in 1881, it was the embodiment of the hopes and The Arts and Industries Building dreams of one man, Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887), second Secretary of the Smithsonian. The opening of Arts & Industries also irrevocably established the Smithsonian as the national museum of the United States. When James Smithson (c.1765-1829) wrote his will, he was quite vague about what he expected his institution for "the increase and diffusion of knowledge" to be. The United States Congress debated for a decade whether the Smithsonian should be a library, university, astronomical observatory, scientific research institute, or even a museum. A quintessential American political compromise, the 1846 act establishing the Smithsonian included almost all of these things. The first Smithsonian Secretary, Joseph Henry (1797-1878), a physicist, wanted the Smithsonian to be primarily a scientific research institute. He was reluctant to run a museum or national library that might use all the Smithsonian's funding and leave little for basic research. He believed museums reached only a local audience and the Smithson bequest shouldn't be spent on popular attractions. 1 of 4  Next