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Mr. Smithson Goes To Washington: The Life And Death Of The Man Who Changed D.C.

By: Rebecca Sheir // October 25, 2010
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A Smithsonian official holds James Smithson’s skull, when Smithson's body was exhumed in Genoa, Italy, and brought to the U.S. to be placed in a crypt in the Smithsonian castle in 1904-5.
Paul Dickson
A Smithsonian official holds James Smithson’s skull, when Smithson's body was exhumed in Genoa, Italy, and brought to the U.S. to be placed in a crypt in the Smithsonian castle in 1904-5.

James Smithson was a man dedicated to learning not just about science and the environment, but also about almost everything else. Smithson donated the money to create the Smithsonian Institution in the mid-19th century. It's one the stories told in a new edition of the book "On this Spot: Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C." Metro Connection host Rebecca Sheir recently met Paul Dickson, one of the authors of the book, to learn about the Englishman whose generosity changed D.C.

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