Description: Laying the Foundations: Early Schools of ThoughtWith few national institutions on which to model their thinking, many Americans built their plans for the Smithsonian around the notion of a national university.The debate moved quickly from, Should we create a national university? This page describes the 1838-1846 debates about what form the Smithsonian Institution should take.
Description: James Smithson: The Man Behind the InstitutionWhile the institution named after James Smithson enjoys worldwide renown, we know little about the man who left $508,318 to the people of the United States to found such an institution.An English scientist who conducted research in chemistry, mineralogy, and geology, Smithson lived and traveled in several European countries. His