Every Collection has a Story. The 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.
Explore the history of the Smithsonian Institution:
Robert McCormick Adams is named the ninth Secretary and assumes the post on September 17, 1984, serving for ten years from 1984 to 1994 . Adams was Provost of the University of Chicago from 1982 until 1984. In his scholarly work and twenty-seven years of field research, Adams has focused principally on the agricultural and urban history of the Near and Middle East and the geographical and archaeological study of settlement patterns.
