Henry was born in 1797 and impoverished as a youth, but his academic talents were discovered starting in 1819 at The Albany Academy, and he embarked on a career in engineering. He was a pioneer on electromagnetism, batteries and electricity. Between 1832-46 he served as first chair of Natural History at the College of New Jersey (Princeton). In August 1846, President Polk founded the Smithsonian Institution to signal America’s place in the scientific community and for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.” In September the Board of Regents name Henry as the first Superintendent, a post he held until 1878. Much of the initial museum inventory came from Lt. Charles Wilkes global exploration of 1838-42. While Henry also hosted many famous speakers including abolitionists, his prejudices did not extend to Frederick Douglas. He was elected to the National Academy of Science in 1866 and died in 1878 at 80 years old.
Joseph Henry
