Every Collection has a StoryThe history of the Smithsonian is a vital part of the history of American experience, scientific exploration, and international cultural understanding. Explore the records of the Archives that document the Smithsonian’s people, events, buildings, and research.
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After a judicial review of the Smithsonian Institution/Cooper Union Museum agreement, the Supreme Court of the State of New York rules that the transfer of the Cooper Union Museum to the Smithsonian could be accomplished and that the museum was legally an entity within the Smithsonian Institution. On July 1, 1968, the Smithsonian takes over the Cooper Union's museum, and the museum is renamed the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.More
The Smithsonian’s Second Secretary Spencer Fullerton Baird dedicated his career to creating a great national museum at the Smithsonian, the U.S. National Museum that opened in 1881. Learn about Baird and the fulfillment of his dreams.More
