Description: The Smithsonian was established in 1846 as a public trust by an act of Congress that also created a Board of Regents charged with establishing an institution “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” Find out more about how the Smithsonian is organized and governed in the pages below.
Description: [view:sia_slideshow==75408]Scientific research has been integral to the Smithsonian, from its founding to today. The Smithsonian's founder, Englishman James Smithson, saw in the U.S. (according to his biographer, Heather Ewing) "a place of the future" that could support "science and progress for humanity." He believed that scientists were "citizens of the world" and that the