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.
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December 3, 1846
Professor Joseph Henry of Princeton University receives seven out of twelve votes cast by the Smithsonian Board of Regents for the position of Secretary (the executive officer of the Smithsonian Institution). The Board then unanimously passes a resolution approving the election of Henry, who went on to serve a thirty-two year term from 1846 to 1878. The forty-nine year-old Henry is well known in the scientific world as a "natural philosopher" and physicist because of his basic discoveries in the field of electromagnetism.
