Smithsonian Institution The Castle The Smithsonian Institution is a museum complex with most of its facilities in Washington D.C.. It consists of 16 museums, 7 research centers and 142 million items in its collections. A monthly magazine published by the Smithsonian Institution is also named Smithsonian. History The Smithsonian Institution was founded for the promotion and dissemination of knowledge by a bequest to the United States by James Smithson (1765-1829). In James Smithson's will, he stated that should his nephew, Henry James Hungerford, die without heirs, the Smithson estate would go to the United States of America for establishing an institution "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men". After the nephew died without heirs in 1835, President Andrew Jackson informed Congress of the bequest, which amounted to 100,000 gold sovereigns, or $500,000 U.S. dollars ($8,790,303 in current 2004 U.S. dollars after inflation). Eight years later, Congress passed an act establishing the Smithsonian Institution and the act was signed into law on August 10, 1846 by James Polk. The Smithsonian Institution is established as a trust administered by a secretary and board of regents. The nominal head of the institute is the Chancellor, an office which has always been held by the current Chief Justice of the United States. Serving as a member of the board of regents is one of the very few official legal duties of the Vice President of the United States. The Information Center in the central complex has architecture reminiscent of a castle and is known informally as "The Castle". Many of the other buildings are landmarks and feature other distinctive architectural styles. The asteroid 3773 Smithsonian is named in honor of the institution Secretaries of the Smithsonian Joseph Henry – 1846-1878 Spencer Fullerton Baird – 1878-1887 Samuel Pierpont Langley – 1887-1906 Charles Doolittle Walcott – 1907-1927 Charles Greeley Abbot – 1928-1944 Alexander Wetmore – 1944-1952 Leonard Carmichael – 1953-1964 Sidney Dillon Ripley – 1964-1984 Robert McCormick Adams – 1984-1994 I. Michael Heyman – 1994-1999 Lawrence M. Small – 2000-present See: The Secretaries of the Smithsonian Institution Further reading Nina Burleigh, Stranger and the Statesman: James Smithson, John Quincy Adams, and the Making of America's Greatest Museum, The Smithsonian, Harpercollins, September, 2003, hardcover, 288 pages, ISBN 0060002417 Links and references Museums American Art Museum Anacostia Museum Arts and Industries Building The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Freer Gallery of Art Hirshhorn Museum National Air and Space Museum National Gallery of Art (affiliated, though under a separate charter) National Museum of African Art National Museum of American History National Museum of the American Indian National Museum of Natural History National Portrait Gallery National Postal Museum National Zoological Park Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Smithsonian Institution Building Research centers Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Carrie-Bow Marine Field Station Center For Earth and Planetary Studies Environmental Research Center Marine Station at Fort Pierce Migratory Bird Center Tropical Research Institute External link Smithsonian Institution webpage Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institution