Smithsonian Institution, Board of Regents, Minutes, 1846

Summary

• Present: George M. Dallas, William W. Seaton, George Evans, Isaac S. Pennybacker, Sidney Breese, Robert Dale Owen, William J. Hough, Henry W. Hilliard, Richard Rush, Gideon Hawley, Alexander Dallas Bache, Joseph G. Totten, Rufus Choate. The members not present were Roger Brooke Taney and William C. Preston.
• The board proceeded to consider the resolutions accompanying the report of the Committee on Organization and resolved that the Secretaries of State, the Treasury, War, and the Navy be invited to "furnish to consuls and other public officers, in this and foreign countries...such suggestions as they may deem proper in regard to the procurement...of additions to the museum of this Institution"; that three hundred copies of this report be printed and put at the disposal of these secretaries "as an explanation to these public functionaries of the views of the Institution in regard to a museum"; that five hundred dollars be appropriated for the transportation costs associated with sending any items to Washington.
• The board also resolved that the Secretary of War be invited to "furnish to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs such suggestions as he may deem proper regarding the procurement from the Indian country of collections for the museum...illustrating..the various tribes of aborigines of the North American continent"; that one hundred copies of this report be placed at his disposal for "informing the various Indian agents of the special character of the collections desired"; that five hundred dollars be appropriated for the transportation costs associated with sending any items to Washington; that the public be invited to give contributions, and when of value, to be labelled with the donor's name and residence; that ten copies of this report be furnished to each member of Congress, with a respectful request to transmit it to publications or individuals who may be interested in the Institution.
• The Board then resolved that one hundred thousand dollars be appropriated in 1847 for "laying out the grounds of the institution," to be expended by the Executive Committee; that under the direction of the secretary, five thousand copies of this report be transmitted to "each of the principal scientific and literary societies, both in this and in other countries; and also to such individuals, of scientific or literary reputation" that may be interested in the Institution; that twenty thousand dollars be appropriated on January 1, 1848 to cover all the costs of "the gradual fitting up of a library," with the exception of the librarian's salary; that the section of the building designated for the library be large enough to house no less than one hundred thousand volumes and to be feasibly expandable if desired in the future; that four thousand dollars be appropriated on January 1, 1847 for the "purchase of philosophical and chemical apparatus and models."
• The board also resolved that it "is expedient to include ultimately in the plan of the institution popular lectures on useful subjects." The rest of the resolutions accompanying the report of the Committee on Organization were read and postponed until the next meeting of the board so that the secretary-elect, Joseph Henry, could be consulted before their adoption. The board then proceeded to the consideration of the resolutions reported the previous day by Mr. Choate on behalf of the Committee to form a Library. The board resolved that the Secretary of the Institution be recommended to employ an assistant secretary to perform the duties of a librarian; that a committee be appointed to work with the Secretary in the preparation of a list of books to be purchased and that they be authorized to request the aid of the librarian and any other experts, after which Mr. Choate, Mr. Hilliard, and Mr. Rush were appointed.
• The board resolved that the salary of the secretary be three thousand five hundred dollars per year, to begin on the date of his acceptance of the office; that until proper housing was built for the secretary, five hundred dollars be appropriated for his rent. The board then adjourned to 10:00 AM the following day.

Subject

• Pennybacker, Isaac Samuels 1805-1847
• Seaton, William Winston 1785-1866
• Totten, Joseph Gilbert 1788-1864
• Bache, A. D (Alexander Dallas) 1806-1867
• Breese, Sidney 1800-1878
• Dallas, George Mifflin 1792-1864
• Hough, William Jervis 1795-1869
• Hilliard, Henry W (Henry Washington) 1808-1892
• Owen, Robert Dale 1801-1877
• Rush, Richard 1780-1859
• Hawley, Gideon 1785-1870
• Henry, Joseph 1797-1878
• Evans, George 1797-1867
• Choate, Rufus, 1799-1859
• Taney, Roger Brooke 1777-1864
• Preston, William C. 1794-1860
• Board of Regents
• Smithsonian Institution Building Early History
• Board of Regents Executive Committee
• Board of Regents Executive Committee Committee on Organization
• United States Congress House
• United States Congress Senate
• Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL)
• Board of Regents Special Committee
• United States President
• United States Bureau of Indian Affairs
• United States Patent Office
• United States. Secretary of State
• United States. Secretary of the Navy
• United States. Secretary of the Treasury
• United States. Secretary of War
• Board of Regents Committee on Libraries
• United States Congress
• Board of Regents Ad hoc committees
• Smithsonian Institution Building Lecture Hall
• National Collections

Category

Smithsonian Legal Documents

Legal document information

• 1846/12/04 Regents Minutes
• Board of Regents - Minutes of Meetings, 1846-

Notes

The Board of Regents adopted many of the resolutions accompanying the first reports of the Committee on Organization and the Committee on Libraries.

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 1, Board of Regents Vol. 1 (Bound volume)

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

• 1879
• December 4, 1846

Topic

• Lectures and lecturing
• Wages
• Regents

Form/Genre

Board of Regents

Physical description

Number of pages: 4; Page numbers: 12-15

Full Record

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