William Jones Rhees

Background

William Jones Rhees was born on March 13, 1830 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Benjamin Rush Rhees and Margaret Grace (Evans). His father was a practising physician in Philadelphia, one of the founders of Jefferson Medical College, and a member of the original faculty; his grandfather was the Rev. Morgan John Rhees, a Baptist clergyman who came from Wales and settled in Somerset, Pennsylvania. On his mother's side, he was descended from Evan Evans who organized the 2nd Battalion of militia from Chester County, Pennsylvania, and was its colonel, and also from John Lukens, surveyor general for Pennsylvania, and a commissioner in 1781 for extending Mason and Dixon's line.

Education

William Rhees was graduated from the Central High School, Philadelphia, in 1847.

Career

He settled in Washington, D. C. Here he had charge of social statistics for the Seventh United States Census, and served as secretary of the central executive committee in Washington of the World's Fair held at London in 1851.

On July 1 of the following year he was made chief clerk of the Smithsonian Institution, and was thereafter chief executive officer, under the secretary, of the affairs of the Institution and in charge of its publications. This position he held during the lives of Secretary Henry and Secretary Baird and for a time under Secretary Langley. During their absence he frequently served as acting secretary. As he grew older and the duties of his office became more onerous he was made keeper of the archives.

He was public spirited and during his younger days was active in civic affairs, serving as trustee of the public schools of Washington during 1862-68, 1873-74.

In 1856 he organized a lecture bureau which secured the services of eminent speakers for lectures throughout the United States, and he had charge of Prof. John Tyndall's lectures during his visit to America in 1872. In later life he became interested in patriotic organizations and was one of the founders of the Sons of the American Revolution in the District of Columbia, of which he served as registrar.

He died in Washington, and was buried in Rock Creek Cemetery. To the Smithsonian Institution he bequeathed a fund which bears his name.

Achievements

• He was a founder and at one time president of the Washington Young Men's Christian Association, and during the Civil War was active in its philanthropic work. His numerous writings included the annual reports of the Smithsonian Institution and a number of contributions to its Miscellaneous Collections. Among these publications were The Scientific Writings of James Smithson (1879) and James Smithson and His Bequest (1880). He also made many compilations, among which were Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions and Societies in the United States and British Provinces of North America (1859), Catalogue of Publications of the Smithsonian Institution (1882), and periodic lists of publications of the Smithsonian Institution (1862 - 1906). His last work of importance was The Smithsonian Institution; Documents Relative to Its Origin and History 1835-1899.

Works

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  • Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions, and Societies: In the United States, and British Provinces of North America (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions, an...)

  • Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions, and Societies: In the United States, and British Provinces of North America (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions, an...)

  • An account of the Smithsonian Institution, its founder, building, operations, etc.

    (This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

  • Check List of Publications of the Smithsonian Institution: July, 1874 (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Check List of Publications of the Smithsonia...)

  • James Smithson and His Bequest

    ( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

  • The Smithsonian Institution, Documents Relative to Its Origin and History, 1835-1839, Vol. 2 of 2: 1887-1899; Fiftieth Congress to Fifty-Fifth Congress (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from The Smithsonian Institution, Documents Relat...)

  • ... Circular Relative to Heights

    (This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before ...)

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• At the time of his death it was said of him that "his knowledge of the affairs of the Institution was wide, and with him there passed away the principal human repository of its history for he had been connected with it almost since its inception".

Connections

He was twice married: first, to Laura O. Clarke; and after her death, to Romenia Fontanette Ellis. His second wife, a son, and three daughters survived him.

Father:

Benjamin Rush Rhees

Mother:

Margaret Grace (Evans) Rhees

Spouse:

Laura O. Clarke

Spouse:

Romenia Fontanette Ellis