FROM THE ARCHIVES: SPOTLIGHT ON REGENTS Theodore Roosevelt encouraged the Smithson- Ex Officio Regent, 1901 ian to accept the Freer gift. When he left office he led col- Vice President Theodore lecting expeditions to Africa Roosevelt, an Ex Officio Re- and South America to collect gent who served on the Board for the National Museum, in 1901, established an early providing many of the iconic relationship with the Smith- specimens displayed in the sonian when, as a boy, he new museum after it opened corresponded with Secretary in 1910. He also supported Spencer Baird. Later he began funding for the Biological donating his natural history Survey of the Canal Zone in collections, particularly when 1910–1911, which led to the he decided not to pursue a creation of the Smithsonian natural history career. Tropical Research Institute. Although Vice President At one point there were Roosevelt’s membership on plans to build a museum in his the Board of Regents was honor next to what is now the brief, as President he strongly Natural History Museum. Former President Theodore Roosevelt (left of flag) and other members of the Smithsonian expedition party to Africa, where he collected natural history specimens for the U.S. National Museum and live animals for the National Zoological Park 1 Jeannine Smith Clark Citizen Regent, 1983–1995 Jeannine Smith Clark joined the Board of Regents in 1983, and played an active role for the next 12 years. A Wash- ington, D.C., community leader, Clark was a member of the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics; was active in the Urban League, YWCA, Howard University Hospital board, and Phillips Collection council; and had volunteered at the Smith- sonian for many years. She received a BA and MA in African studies from How- ard University and taught at Sidwell Friends School and the University of the District of Columbia. At that time, wom- en could not teach after their third month of pregnancy, so Clark directed her energies towards volunteer work when she started her family. Clark first volunteered for the Smithsonian during the 1968 Poor People’s March on Washington. She tried to establish a program to take children from the Resurrec- tion City campsite on tours of Smithsonian museums. Jeannine Smith Clark, 1980 She was a docent from 1968 to 1977, giving tours of the Cultural Education Com- outreach. the Natural History Museum’s mittee in 1986. The com- She also was a member Africa Hall. She was a fund- mittee consisted of 12 to 18 and chair of the Board’s Audit raiser for the Museum of members from outside the and Review Committee from African Art before it became Smithsonian and focused its 1985 to 1994, serving as chair part of the Smithsonian in activities for the next decade in 1994, and on the Personnel 1979. She also was an active on educational programs; Committee of the Audit and member of the Smithsonian diversity at all levels of the Review Committee from 1989 Women’s Committee, chairing Smithsonian, including the to 1994. During her tenure its volunteer program in the monitoring and accountability on the Board, Clark also was late 1970s and early 1980s. of diversity efforts; sensitiv- appointed chair of the Na- As a Regent, she was ap- ity to cultural pluralism in tional Portrait Gallery Com- pointed the first chairwomen exhibit programs; and public mission in 1989. 2 William Howard Taft presided over the 1927 Con- Ex Officio Regent, 1921–1930 ference on the Future of the Smithsonian, a major evalua- William Howard Taft was the tion and planning effort that 27th President of the United led to the Smithsonian’s first States (1909–1913) and the capital campaign, which was 10th Chief Justice of the unfortunately launched just as United States, during which the Stock Market crashed in time he served as an Ex Of- the fall of 1929. ficio Regent on the Board. First Lady Helen Herron The Chief Justice was one Taft donated her inaugural of the most activist Chancel- gown to the National Muse- lors of the Board. He was very um, the first dress in the First involved in day-to-day Smith- Ladies gown collection. sonian activities and planning and even held staff meet- ings in the new U.S. National First Lady Helen Herron Taft do- nated her inaugural gown (right) Museum building (now the to the National Museum Collection National Museum of Natural in 1912, the first dress in the First History). As Chancellor, Taft Ladies gown collection Fifty leaders of the scientific, political and industrial life of the country gathered at a conference held in the Smithsonian’s Great Hall in February 1927. In the front row, left to right: Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mel- lon; Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg; President Calvin Coolidge; Chief Justice William Howard Taft; and Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian Charles Greeley Abbot 3 Clarence Cannon Cannon had a lasting now the National Museum of Congressional Regent, influence over the work- American History) through the 1935–1964 ings of Congress through his Congress. When the subcom- writings, including Procedure mittee hearings began on the in the House of Representa- MHT planning appropriation, tives (1920) and Cannon’s Cannon suggested that the bill Precedents of the House of encompass construction as Representatives (1936). He well as planning. Smithsonian was elected a Representative staff hastily pulled together a (Democrat) from Missouri in budget for the full legislation 1922 and retained that seat that was then passed handily until his death. with Cannon’s support. (He Despite his reputation also shepherded the Kennedy as a budget-slashing fis- Center legislation through the cal conservative, especially Congress without opposition.) after he became chair of the Cannon served on the House Appropriations Com- Regents’ Executive Committee mittee in 1941, Cannon was from 1941 to 1964, playing an a strong advocate for the active role in the affairs of the Smithsonian’s budget. As Smithsonian on many levels, chair of the House Committee as it coped with the Great on Appropriations, Cannon Depression and World War II, Clarence Cannon, oil on canvas, by shepherded the legislation and then began a period of Irving Resnikoff (signed as Charles for the National Museum of growth in research and mu- J. Fox), 1967 History and Technology (MHT; seum programs in the 1950s. Cannon’s lifelong interest in American history was reflect- ed in his first career, when he taught and authored several books on family and local history. He then studied law at the University of Missouri while teaching history at Ste- phens College and was admit- ted to the bar in 1908. In 1911, he joined the staff of his Congressman, Champ Clark, and served as House parliamentarian from 1917 to 1920. Cannon soon established himself as a lead- ing authority on parliamen- tary procedure. He held the The January 15, 1954, Board of Regents’ meeting: from left to right, Sec- position of parliamentarian of retary Leonard Carmichael, Justice Owen J. Roberts, Representative John M. Vorys, Representative Clarence Cannon, Mr. Robert V. Fleming, Chief the Democratic National Con- Justice Earl Warren (center), Senator Leverett Saltonstall, Dr. Vannevar vention from 1920 to 1960. Bush, Dr. Jerome C. Hunsaker, and Representative Leroy Johnson 4 Alexander Graham Bell his parents about the meeting Citizen Regent, 1898–1922 and used that letter in patent fights over his invention. Alexander Graham Bell was a Bell was a lifelong sup- protégé of the first Smithson- porter of the Smithsonian. ian Secretary, Joseph Henry. After Henry died, he bought As he began his develop- Henry’s scientific library to ment of the electromagnetic help the Henry family finan- telephone, Bell visited Henry cially. He combined it and left in 1875 and asked what he it to the Smithsonian, where it thought of his proposed currently is held in the Dibner invention. Henry was im- Library. Bell was inspired by pressed and told him to con- James Smithson and brought tinue his work. Bell wrote to Smithson’s body from Italy to An instantaneous photograph by Alexander Graham Bell of Lang- ley Aerodrome No. 5 in flight on May 6, 1896 the Smithsonian in 1904 when Smithson’s cemetery plot was going to be moved for rock quarrying. Always interested in kites and flight, he supported Secretary Samuel P. Langley’s research into aerodynamics and photographed one of the flights of Langley’s “aero- drome.” Bell also donated $5,000 in 1891 to support the creation of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. In addition, Bell donated sig- nificant history of technology collections and was active in the evaluation of the Freer art collection when it was being offered to the Smithsonian. In honor of his role at the Smithsonian, a bust of Bell by Victore Salvatore was pre- sented to the Board of Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), Scottish-born inventor and scientist, Regents at its December 9, and later Smithsonian Regent, c. 1910s 1926, meeting. 5 James Edwin Webb ships for the promotion of Citizen Regent, 1970–1982 excellence in the manage- ment of cultural and scientific James Edwin Webb, who not-for-profit institutions. Al- joined the Board in 1970, though no longer in existence, previously served as the sec- the program benefitted many ond NASA administrator from staff by funding advanced ed- 1961 to 1968, during which ucation in management, such time he was responsible for as MBA degrees, for Smith- the creation of the Apollo sonian staff who showed program. promise as future manag- Webb’s energy was evi- ers. Today the Smithsonian dent during his 12 years on honors Webb with the James the Board of Regents.