Petition to Board of Regents, 11/13/1869
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Request permissionsDownload image PrintThis petition to the Smithsonian Board of Regents on behalf of Solomon G. Brown, a clerk, for a promotion at the Smithsonian. An unidentified group of African Americans in Brown's neighborhood believed that Brown, who was very active in the community, was being passed up for a promotion he deserved.
Historic Images of the Smithsonian
Solomon G. Brown was hired as the Smithsonian Institution's first African American employee, spending most of his career as a clerk to Spencer Fullerton Baird. Brown worked for 54 years at the Smithsonian (1850-1904), fulfilling many duties under secretaries Joseph Henry, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and Samuel P. Langley. Brown formed a very close bond with Baird, becoming his "eyes and ears" when Baird was out of town. He was also a naturalist, poet, illustrator, and lecturer. Although he had no formal education, Brown was known by many as Professor Brown.
Smithsonian Institution Archives Record Unit 26, Vol. 84, p. 217
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
November 13, 1869
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