Born in France in 1765, he was taken to England at an early age, 
        naturalised, and entered as a gentleman commoner at Pembroke College, 
        Oxford, where he matriculated on 7 May 1782. He was said to have been 
        the best chemist and mineralogist of his year. 
             In 1784 he made a geological tour to Oban, Staffa, and the 
        Western Isles of Scotland. On 26 May 1786, he was created M.A., and, 
        on 26 April 1787, was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society. His 
        first scientific paper, "An Account of some Chemical Experiments on 
        Tabasheer", was read before the Royal Society on 7 July 1791. 
             In 1792 he traveeled from Geneva to Italy and in Tirol. In 1794, 
        eight years after his father's death, he is still mentioned as Louis 
        Macie. The first time he used the name James Smithson is in the second 
        contribution to the "Transactions" of the Royal Society, read on 18 
        November 1802, being 'A Chemical Analysis of some Calamines' by James
        Smithson, Esq.. To commemorate this discovery the name Smithsonite was 
        conferred on a native carbonite of zinc. 
             Over many years he produced many more scientific papers but he 
        left a great quantity of unprinted papers. About two hundred 
        manuscripts were forwarded to the United States with his effects. 
        Unfortunately, with the exception of a single volume, all perished in 
        a fire at the Smithsonian Institution in 1865. 
             A large part of his life was passed on the continent, living in 
        Berlin, Paris, Rome, Florence and Geneva and associated everywhere 
        with scientific men. In later years, when his health became feeble, he 
        resided chiefly in Paris, at 121 rue Montmartre. He died at Genoa, 
        Italy, on 27 June 1829. 
             In his will his estate, with a few exceptions, was bequethed "to 
        the United States of America, to be found at Washington, under the 
        name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase 
        and diffusion of knowledge among men." His wealth is believed to have 
        been inherited, from his mother but chiefly from Colonel Henry Louis 
        Dickinson, a son of his mother by a former marriage. 
             The Smithsonian Institution was established by act of Congress, 
        approved on 10 August 1846. 

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