Reference Request
Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Accession 97-042
Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Provost
Subject Files, 1992-1995
Historical Note
Secretary Ira Michael Heyman established the Office of the Provost in October 1994 to streamline Smithsonian Institution management by placing most programmatic activities under a single academic officer. Heyman named Robert S. Hoffmann, former Assistant Secretary for the Sciences, Acting Provost while he searched for a permanent incumbent. At the same time, the Assistant Secretaries for Arts and Humanities, the Sciences, and Educational and Cultural Programs became Assistant Provosts for those areas, and began reporting to the Provost. Ross Simons was named Acting Assistant Provost for the Sciences.
On September 12, 1995, Heyman announced that J. Dennis O'Connor would assume the duties of the Provost in early January 1996. As Provost, O'Connor became the Institution's chief programs officer, responsible for central planning, integration, and oversight of the Smithsonian's museum activities; and research and education activities at its museums, the National Zoo, libraries, archives, and research centers in the U.S. and around the world. In early spring 1996, O'Connor eliminated the offices of the three Assistant Provosts reporting to him.
Descriptive Entry
These records document the activities of the Office of the Provost in 1994 and 1995, primarily under Robert S. Hoffmann as Acting Provost. The Provost's office created files for most offices listed on the October 1994 Smithsonian administrative chart, and for issues and initiatives concerning those offices. The arrangement of the files roughly follows the structure of the chart. Of particular note are files documenting the establishment and early activities of the Office of the Provost, and the work of the three Assistant Provosts that originally reported to the Provost. Other groups of files contain notes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports on offices or issues under the direct oversight of the Secretary or Undersecretary, yet which affected the work of the Provost.
The records include a single file dating from 1992 to 1993, documenting a matter of concern to Robert S. Hoffmann as Assistant Secretary for the Sciences.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
- Early, James C.
- Freudenheim, Tom L.
- Heyman, Ira Michael, 1930-2011
- Hoffmann, Robert S.
- O'Connor, J. Dennis
- Simons, Ross B.
- Smithsonian Institution -- Administration
- Smithsonian Institution. Assistant Provost for Educational and Cultural Programs
- Smithsonian Institution. Assistant Provost for the Arts and Humanities
- Smithsonian Institution. Assistant Provost for the Sciences
Subject
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 97-042, Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Provost, Subject Files