The Smithsonian Institution "run By The Local Officer To Help" Model Research

Smithsonian Institution, founded in1846,is the biggest compound insititution wth exhibition and research. It consists of19museums and gallaries,1nationalzoo and9researching institute. Its goal is to promote and spread knowledge in human society. Meanwhile, Smithsonian Institution is the only half-official third door sector museum subsidized by the government.Smithonian Institution was initially found with the funds of500,000dollars donated to the U.S. Congress by a British scientist James Smithson(1765-1829). He had never married in his whole life, nor had he ever been to the America. On October23rd,1826, he made his will to leave his property to his nephew. But in the end of the will, he added that if his nephew had no heir, the property should be donted to the U.S. and "found an institution named Smithonian Institution in Washington to promote and spread knowledge in human society". James smithson died on June27th,1829. his nephew died6years later without any heir. So the added item was eventually came ioto force. The President Andrew Jackson reported the will to the U.S. Congress. On July1st,1836, the U.S. Congress accepted the heritage and guaranteed the proper usage of the funds by th belief of the U.S.. In1836, Jaames Smithson’s heritage-nearly100,000pounds worth of gold coin-was dilivered to the coinage factory in Philadelphia and made into508318.46dollars.During the following8years, the U.S. Congress was on the discussion of the application of the heritage. On August10th,1846, President James K Polk signed an act og th U.S. Congress, then the Smithonian Institution came into being.Smithonian Institution was founded as a commercial institution of the federal government, not belonging to the one of the three branch institution of the U.S. government, and is managed by a council that can guarantee its long-existence, which is formed by the vice president, the Chief Justice, three senators, three members of the U.S. House of Rpresentatives and nine citizens.In1858, Smithonian Institution becom the U.S. National Museum. And it is from this year that the Congress provid certain financial support annually to maintain the collections of the nation. In1878, the U.S. Congress give the Smithnian Institution the honor of being the Ntional Museum. The second Secretary Fullerton Baird, who was in charge from1878-1887focused on building a great national museum. Thid kind og "national" concious was complied with the100-year celebration of America. The earlier development of Smithonian Institution was complied with the gradually developing national concious and tried to find a developing mode independent from the Europe. The U.S. Congress take the Smithonian Institution as a palce to restore and exhibite the national cultural heritage.The present study on Smithonian Institution are mainly from abroad. The museums associated to the Smithonian Institution are listed on the top. The researchers are well-trained and most of them are doctors from the outstanding universities. The reseachers of the Freer Gallery of Art and he Arthur M Sackler Gallery are the docotors from Harvard and Princeton. Many of them have been worked in some other academic institute before and had remarkable achievments, even those who do not have a PHD. Smithonian Institution has its own publishing department, which publishes a great number of works of its researchers. It also publish a lot of thesis, but mostly are the academic paper of the professional field. The author has never read a study on its operation mode.The domestic study are mostly appeared at academic magazines, most of which are general overviews, such as "the association after visiting the U.S. National Museum" by Li Zhuqi, who works at the Office of National Education and Science. His article mainly describes the impression of Smithonian Institution. Mr. Li thinks that there are four features of Smithonian Insitution:the clear aim of founding the museum, the unity of branch musems, the rich financial source and the openess to the public. On these basis, he brought about several constructive suggestions to the management of the museum of our country. Qin Dashu from Peking University introduce us the features of Smithonian Institution in terms of collection, education and research in "the U.S. Smithonian Institution and its features". There is also an article written by Emily on the "Reader’s Digest" in October,1976. it was afterwards translated by Sun Shan into "Smithonian-the U.S. National Museum". This article starts with the history of Smithonian Institution and covers its research, the colorful activities and its collections. The American Michelle Hamman’s "the finding of the meeting point of school education" translated by Yang Liping, Ma Yanru and Li Wei.presents the cooperation between the formal education and the informal education of Smithonian Institution.This paper,by way of document studying, will demonstrate the progress of the founding of Smithonian Institution form the U.S. government’s acknowledgement of Smithson’s will to the founding of Smithonian Institution.