JAMES SMITHSON

James Smithson was born in 1764 and died on June 27, 1829. He was a wealthy British mineralogist and chemist most noted for having left a bequest in his will to the United States of America, which was subsequently used to fund the Smithsonian Institution. mithson was educated at Pembroke College, Oxford, receiving a Master of Arts degree in 1786. Upon the death of his mother in 1800, he and his half-brother inherited a sizable estate. Smithson proved that zinc carbonates were true carbonate minerals and not zinc oxides, as was previously thought. Smithson published at least 27 papers on chemistry, geology, and mineralogy in scientific journals. When Smithson died his will left his fortune to his nephew but stipulated that if that nephew died without children, the money should go "to the United States of America, to found at Washington, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." Well, his nephew died in 1836 without children there was a lawsuit contesting the will the the US won. After much debate the proceeds of over half a million dollars was used to establish the Smithsonian Institute