Smithsonian Institution

Contributed to

Ethnological researches among the Fox Indians, Iowa
Book 1926

Summary: The Smithsonian Institution, or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, education and research centers, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded on August 10, 1846, it operates as a trust instrumentality and is not formally a part of any of the three branches of the federal government. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson. It was originally organized as the United States National Museum, but that name ceased to exist administratively in 1967. Wikipedia
Encyclopædia Britannica: Biography [3]
Inception: 1846 [1]; 1846-08-10 [2][3]
Country: United States [1][2][3]; Stany Zjednoczone (USA) [4]
Location: Washington, DC [1]; Washington (D.C.) [2]
Website: https://www.si.edu/ [3]
Organization Type: institution [3]; business [3]; nonprofit organization [3]; museum [3]
Parent Organization: Federal Government of the United States [3]

Sources: 1. Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (Germany); 2. Library of Congress; 3. Wikidata; 4. National Library of Poland

Last updated Sep 5, 2025