10-09-2020, 05:36 PM
Tony,
The Smithsonian* was the brainchild of, and funded by, a certain James Smithson - an Englishman. Of course that was in the days when GB 'ruled the world' and had most of the world's dosh - unlike today! Just thought you'd like to know...
He presumably adopted the suffix -ian* as he couldn't compete with Thomas Bodley who, in 1602 re-founded The Oxford University Library as The Bodleian Library (which even then dated back to the 14th century).
Sorry, this is all a bit off topic, but interesting in its way.
The Smithsonian* was the brainchild of, and funded by, a certain James Smithson - an Englishman. Of course that was in the days when GB 'ruled the world' and had most of the world's dosh - unlike today! Just thought you'd like to know...
He presumably adopted the suffix -ian* as he couldn't compete with Thomas Bodley who, in 1602 re-founded The Oxford University Library as The Bodleian Library (which even then dated back to the 14th century).
Sorry, this is all a bit off topic, but interesting in its way.
True satisfaction is the delayed fulfilment of ancient wish