Joseph Henry A Life in Science

Learn about the scientific research of Joseph Henry (1797–1878), first Smithsonian Secretary and renowned physicist, and how he helped set the Institution on its course.

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Henry's Family Gallery

Joseph Henry (1797–1878) married his cousin Harriet Alexander (1808–1882) in 1820. They had four children:  William A. Henry (1832–1862), Mary Henry (1834–1903), Helen Henry (1836–1912), and Caroline Henry (1839–1920). When the Smithsonian Institution Building, or Castle, was completed in 1855, the Henry family lived in apartments at the east end until Henry's death in 1878.