Office of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution

Office of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Name	Office of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Incumbent	Secretary of the Smithsonian
Formation	1846
First	Joseph Henry
Website	Smithsonian Institution

Contents

Office of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution The Office of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution directs the Smithsonian Institution's central administration, coordinating policy across the National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Portrait Gallery, and affiliated centers such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The office mediates relationships with the United States Congress, the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and international partners including the British Museum and the Louvre while overseeing compliance with statutes such as the Smithsonian Institution Act and engaging with donors like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

History

Established after the passage of the Smithsonian Institution Act of 1846 and the appointment of Joseph Henry as the first Secretary, the office evolved through periods marked by directors such as Samuel Pierpont Langley, Charles Doolittle Walcott, and Leonard Carmichael, who navigated relations with figures including Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the 20th century, Secretaries like S. Dillon Ripley and I. Michael Heyman expanded programs that connected with institutions such as the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives and Records Administration. The office responded to crises involving collections and conservation alongside partners including the World Monuments Fund, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In the 21st century, Secretaries coordinated initiatives intersecting with technology firms such as Google and Microsoft, engaged in contemporary debates linked to the Civil Rights Movement, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and international cultural diplomacy exemplified by exchanges with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

The Secretary supervises curatorial strategy at institutions like the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Anacostia Community Museum, while managing administrative functions shared with entities such as the United States Botanic Garden, the National Zoo, and the Cooper Hewitt. The office formulates policy on matters ranging from collections stewardship under laws like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to financial oversight involving the Smithsonian Institution Investment Trust and audits by the Government Accountability Office. It represents the Smithsonian in negotiations with foreign ministries such as the Ministry of Culture (France), patrons including the Rockefeller Foundation, and professional associations like the American Alliance of Museums and the International Council of Museums. The Secretary issues directives affecting exhibitions at venues such as the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and leads responses to emergencies involving partners like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Reporting to the Secretary are deputy secretaries and executive officers who coordinate offices including the Office of Government and Community Relations, the Smithsonian Institution Archives, the Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations, and the Office of General Counsel. The Secretariat interfaces with curators and directors at the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Postal Museum, the National Museum of Asian Art, and research units such as the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Cross-institutional programs link the Secretary's office to grant-making bodies like the Institute of Museum and Library Services, research partnerships with universities such as Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University, and corporate collaborations involving entities like Apple Inc. and the National Geographic Society.

Notable Secretaries include Joseph Henry, Samuel Pierpont Langley, Charles D. Walcott, Leonard Carmichael, S. Dillon Ripley, G. Wayne Clough, and David J. Skorton, each engaging with leaders such as James Smithson (founder), policymakers in the United States Senate, cultural figures like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and institutional stakeholders including the Smithsonian Board of Regents. Recent holders negotiated issues involving the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and philanthropic efforts by families such as the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The office has led initiatives including nationwide traveling exhibitions partnering with the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Arts, digitization programs in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture and the Biodiversity Heritage Library, repatriation policies under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and biodiversity research efforts involving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. Policy efforts addressed collection security in response to incidents tied to institutions like the Getty Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sustainability programs aligned with the Paris Agreement, and community engagement models inspired by collaborations with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the National Council on Public History.

The Secretary's office has faced scrutiny over repatriation disputes involving tribes represented by the National Congress of American Indians, exhibition choices contested by advocates tied to the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement, and governance questions raised in hearings before the United States Congress and inquiries by the Government Accountability Office. Controversies have included budgetary debates with the United States Department of the Treasury, ethics inquiries referencing donors such as the Koch family, and high-profile personnel decisions that drew commentary from media outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as civic groups including the American Civil Liberties Union.