Description: During debates about the Smithsonian’s founding, the idea of using James Smithson’s bequest for a botanic garden was included in several drafts of the bill considered by Congress. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore commissioned America’s preeminent landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing to design plans for the National Mall, including grounds around the Smithsonian Castle,
Description: On October 5, 2021, the Smithsonian announced that Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty will be the new director of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, effective Nov. 6.