Descriptive Entry

These records document the meetings of the Committee. From them are taken the printed versions which appear in the Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution.

Historical Note

An Executive Committee of the Board of Regents was provided by the Act of August 10, 1846, creating the Smithsonian Institution. In the early years this body discharged many responsibilities for the Board, which met only twice a year and could scarcely be assembled with any speed, given the state of transportation. Thus, many of the early members were Regents already residing or stationed in Washington. The Permanent Committee, created in 1894 by the Regents, was responsible for detailed management of bequests and gifts to the Institution. In practice the Permanent and Executive Committees frequently merged in their functions. While some of the Executive Committee's more routine duties, such as auditing Smithsonian accounts, have been delegated to professional administrators, the Committee remains a central agenda body for the Regents.