William C. Preston

William C. Preston

George Peter Alexander Healy, 1842

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Artist: George Peter Alexander Healy (American, 1813–1894)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 36 x 29 in. (91.4 x 73.6 cm)
Museum: Smithsonian Institution
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

William Preston of South Carolina was one of several senators who nearly derailed the founding of the Smithsonian Institution. James Smithson, illegitimate son of England’s Duke of Northumberland, was a noted natural scientist. His considerable fortune went to the United States government in 1835 "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge." Like many of his fellow senators, William Preston argued against accepting Smithson’s gift, insisting that the United States should not take such a substantial amount of money from an English aristocrat. Preston was won over, however, and, with President Andrew Jackson's support, Congress voted to accept the bequest from Smithson.Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006

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