James Smithson’s Bequest – the founder of an institution which almost didn’t happen
James Smithson 1765-1828 was a wealthy English scientist who devoted his life to research despite being ostracized by his peers. Although the institution he was responsible for creating is an American icon, James never visited the United States in his lifetime.
In July 1835 the American Charge d’Affaires in London received a copy of a will making his country the beneficiary of a sensational bequest of $500,000 for a theoretical “institution” in the United States. The puzzled Charge sent the will to John Forsythe, US Secretary of State, along with a letter suggesting that the benefactor may have been insane.
James was born on the wrong side of the blanket, as they say. He inherited his money from his mother’s family, a widow and reputedly a direct descendant of Henry VII.
- He became a compulsive gambler in later life.
- Owing to his origins “(born under the ‘bar sinister’”), he was precluded from entering the army, church, civil service or politics.
- He opposed monarchy on principle, and was an outspoken critic of Napoleon.
- He ended up in prison in Denmark, a suspected spy. Was released after 5 years.
- The Royal Society declined to publish Smithson’s papers, although the reasons for this aren’t known. The Society may well have been left out of his will for what Smithson considered a slight.
He
stipulated in his will that, should his nephew and only heir, die childless
– the bulk of Smithson’s fortune (worth about $500,000, an
enormous sum at the time) should go to the United States of America, to
be found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian
Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.
- “the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge ..”
- The subsequent story of the battles to actually realize the wishes of James Smithson are the stuff of novels and an entertaining account is found on the website.
Fortunately despite much resistance amongst the American politicians of the time (one Congressman denounced libraries as “clouds of windy verbiage”), former President John Quincy Adams took up the cause.There is a fascinating account of this gift on the Smithsonian Institution’s website.