James Smithson

James Smithson (Paris, 1765 - Genoa, 1829) was a prominent British mineralogist and chemist, known for bequeathing his legacy to the United States, thereby founding the Smithsonian Institution. Graduating from Oxford in 1786, he became the youngest member of the Royal Society in 1787. Smithson devoted his life to exploring nature, conducting research in various locations. In 1802, he demonstrated that zinc carbonates were distinct minerals, not oxides. A zinc mineral was later named smithsonite in his honor. Smithson published writings on chemistry, geology, and mineralogy, addressing unusual topics such as the chemical composition of tears and proposing improvements in coffee preparation. His mother named him heir to the Hungerford family estate, with the obligation to dedicate the inheritance to the creation of a scientific institution in the U.S. in case his nephew died without heirs. The legacy passed to the Smithsonian Institution when the nephew died in 1835. In 1905, his remains were transferred to Washington, where Smithson had generously funded the establishment of the institution.