Results for "Smithson, James, 1765-1829"
James Smithson at Oxford
- Date: September 12, 2011
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_6861,size=300,right] Some students look forward eagerly to the new school year; others dread the end of summer and the long year ahead. How did the Smithsonian’s founding donor, James Smithson (1765-1829), feel about school? Smithson attended Oxford University in England from 1782 to 1786, receiving a Masters of Arts degree in chemistry and mineralogy.
- Blog Post
Looking Smithson’s Gift Horse in the Mouth
- Date: July 28, 2015
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Today, James Smithson’s bequest to found the Smithsonian is considered a wonderful event, but in 1835 when it was announced, many Americans responded negatively. Why did they look his gift horse in the mouth?
Hungerford Family Visits the Smithsonian
- Date: August 27, 2019
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: In July 2019, the Hungerfords, descendants of James Smithson’s mother’s family visited the Smithsonian and got to see a new Hungerford document.
Happy Birth Year, Mr. Smithson
- Date: November 17, 2015
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: 2015 is the 250th anniversary of James Smithson’s birth. Although we don’t know the day of his birth, this year we are celebrating his birthday.
- Blog Post
The Smithsonian's 165th Anniversary
- Date: August 10, 2011
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Exactly 165 years ago today, legislation establishing the Smithsonian Institution was passed by the US Congress and signed into law by President James K. Polk. From today’s perspective, it seems like a “no-brainer” to accept a generous bequest from a little-known Englishman named James Smithson and create an institution in his name. But from the perspective of that era, the