Accessibility links
The Man Behind the Smithsonian Institution At his death in 1829, English scientist James Smithson left half a million dollars for the establishment of an institution in Washington, D.C. He'd never set foot in the city -- or in the United States. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Nina Burleigh, author of The Stranger and the Statesman, a new book about the mysterious benefactor of the Smithsonian Institution.

Culture

The Man Behind the Smithsonian Institution

Heard on All Things Considered

The Man Behind the Smithsonian Institution

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1450182/1450183" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

At his death in 1829, English scientist James Smithson left half a million dollars for the establishment of an institution in Washington, D.C. He'd never set foot in the city — or in the United States. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Nina Burleigh, author of The Stranger and the Statesman, a new book about the mysterious benefactor of the Smithsonian Institution.