Results for "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"
“Muse of Scientific Literature”: Leila Forbes Clark
- Date: March 13, 2018
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: In honor of Women’s History Month and the 50th anniversary of Smithsonian Libraries, let’s learn about Leila Gay Forbes Clark (1887-1964), the second woman to direct the Smithsonian’s library. She was beloved by the researchers she worked with (really loved in one case….) and began the restructuring of the many small libraries across the Smithsonian.
- Blog Post
Ready-made Home for a Scimitar Horned Oryx and Przewalski’s Horse
- Date: June 25, 2015
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: When Dr. Ted Reed became director of the National Zoological Park in 1959, he committed himself to carrying out the zoo’s complete set of mandates that included research, education, and conservation of endangered species. All these came together in a new non-public facility, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, founded in 1975 in Front Royal, Virginia.
Legislative Logjam to Kitchen Sink
- Date: May 22, 2014
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: In the spring of 1846, after years of debate, the legislative logjam over what the Smithsonian would be was finally broken with compromise legislation by New York Congressman, William Jervis Hough.
Forging a Legal Path: Marie Malaro
- Date: September 18, 2018
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Marie Malaro, 1933-2018, entered law in 1957 when few women were admitted to the bar, and then taught generations of museum professionals how law and ethics applied to their work every day.
The Best-Laid Plans of Mice and Astronomers Often Go Awry: The 1901 Sumatra Eclipse Expedition
- Date: August 17, 2017
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Astronomers travel far and wide to see solar eclipses but sometimes their best laid plans don’t work out..
Happy 100th Birthday, S. Dillon Ripley
- Date: September 20, 2013
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Celebrate the life of the eighth Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, who was born on September 20, 1913, 100 years ago today!
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.
War Correspondents
- Date: July 26, 2012
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Discusses the opening of an exhibit When Time and Duty Permit: Smithsonian Collecting in World War II and the correspondence files that will be displayed.
- Blog Post
American History in an Earthenware Teacup
- Date: January 14, 2016
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: C. Malcolm Watkins (1911-2001), curator of cultural history at the National Museum of American History, was a pioneer of material culture studies and historic archeology.
- Blog Post
The Vanishing Board: Governance at the Smithsonian during Civil War
- Date: June 2, 2011
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Access the official records of the Smithsonian Institution and learn about its history, key events, people, and research.
- 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?
How Many Birds Have You Seen Today?
- Date: January 5, 2012
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: The Christmas Bird Count was begun in 1900 by the Audubon Society. Many Smithsonian staff have participated in it in the decades since then.