The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences (1816–1838) was a literary and science institution in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, founded by
Dr. Edward Cutbush (1772–1843), a
naval surgeon.
had earlier suggested of such a society "at the seat of government."
It was the first "
learned society
A learned society ( ; also scholarly, intellectual, or academic society) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and sciences. Membership may be open to al ...
" established in Washington and was organized on June 28, 1816,
sixteen years after the city was occupied, and less than two years after the invasion by the British troops.
The second article of its constitution states: "The Institute shall consist of mathematical, physical, moral and political sciences, general literature and fine arts."
Members
The ''honorary'' members included three presidents who were still alive during the 1820s;
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
,
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
and
James Madison
James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...
as well as
Marquis Lafayette and
Baron Cuvier, however,
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...
and
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
were both ''resident'' members.
The membership of the institute included many prominent men of the day, including representatives of the military, government service, medical, law and other professions. At least 11 of the men held the office of Mayor of Washington:
*
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...
(1767–1848), Resident member - Sixth president of the United States.
*
Joseph Anderson (1757–1837), First
Comptroller
A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...
of the
United States Treasury
The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments.
The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and ...
.
*
James Barbour (1775–1842), 18th Governor of Virginia, Served as Secretary of War.
*
William T. Barry (1784–1835), Kentucky House of Representatives, Served as Postmaster General.
*
Simon Bernard (1779–1839), French General of Engineers, U.S. Army Chief of Engineers.
*
John M. Berrien (1781–1856), Georgia Senator, Served as Attorney General.
* Rev.
Andrew Bigelow (1795–1877), Minister, Brother-in-law of
Abbott Lawrence and brother of
John P. Bigelow.
*
James H. Blake MD (1763–1819), Practicing Physician, 3rd mayor of
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
* Benjamin S. Bohrer MD (1788–1862), Physician.
*
George Bomford (1780–1848), Col., Chief of the Ordnance Bureau.
*
Phineas Bradley (1769–1845), Assistant Postmaster General, Banker.
*
William A. Bradley (1794–1867), Banker, Former mayor of
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
*
Robert Brent (1763–1819), Banker, Judge of Orphans' Court, First mayor of
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
*
William Brent (1784–1848), U.S. Reprepresentative for Louisiana.
* John A. Brereton MD (1787–1839), Physician, U.S. Navy and then U.S. Army.
* Rev.
Obadiah B. Brown (1779–1852), Minister.
*
Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch (August 8, 1763 – April 15, 1844) was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first American-born professional architect to practice.Baltzell, Edward Digby. ''Puritan Boston & Quaker Philadelphia''. Tra ...
(1763–1844), Architect, designed the U.S. Capitol Building.
*
Elias B. Caldwell (1776–1825), Clerk of the Supreme Court.
*
John C. Calhoun (1782–1850), Secretary of War, Seventh vice president of the United States.
* Rev.
John N. Campbell (1798–1864), Minister.
*
Thomas Carbery (1791–1863), 6th mayor of
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
*
Overton Carr Jr. (d.1838), Banker, Doorkeeper of the U.S. House of Representatives.
*
Daniel Carroll (banker) (1764–1849), Banker from Duddington, merchant and planter, largest land holder in the federal district, over 1,400 acres including site of U.S. Capitol building.
* William T. Carroll (1802–1863), Law Professor, Clerk of the Supreme Court, Father of
Samuel S. Carroll.
*
Nathaniel P. Causin MD (1781–1849), Physician, Judge of the Orphans' Court.
* Rev.
Irah Chase (1793–1864), Minister, Theology Professor.
*
Matthew St. Clair Clarke (1790–1852),
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
*
Henry Clay
Henry Clay (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate, U.S. Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives. He was the seventh Spea ...
(1777–1852), Served as Secretary of State from 1825 to 1829.
* John Coyle Jr. (d.1838), Secretary of the Howard Society, Washington City Common Council member.
*
William Cranch
William Cranch (July 17, 1769 – September 1, 1855) was a United States circuit judge and chief judge of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia. A staunch Federalist and nephew of President John Adams, Cranch moved his ...
(1769–1855), Chief Justice of the Circuit Court.
*
William H. Crawford
William Harris Crawford (February 24, 1772 – September 15, 1834) was an American politician who served as U.S. Secretary of War and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. He later ran for U.S. president in the 1824 United States presidential electi ...
(1772–1834), Served as Secretary of War and Treasury, Candidate for president in 1824.
*
Edward Cutbush, MD (1772–1843), Naval surgeon and founder of the Columbian Institution and
Geneva Medical College.
*
Nathaniel Cutting (d.1824), Merchant, diplomat and public official.
*
Asbury Dickins (1780–1861), Chief Clerk of the Treasury Department and
Secretary of the United States Senate
The secretary of the United States Senate is an officer of the United States Senate. The secretary supervises an extensive array of offices and services to expedite the day-to-day operations of that body. The office is somewhat analogous to that o ...
. Served as Secretary of the institute from 1818 to 1838.
*
Mahlon Dickerson (1770–1853), Governor of New Jersey, Served as Secretary of the Navy.
*
Jonathan Elliot (historian) (1784–1846), Writer, publisher or editor.
*
Samuel Elliot Jr. (), Vice president of the Washington Botanical Society.
* William Elliot (1773–1838), Clerk in the Patent Office.
*
Philip Richard Fendall
Philip Richard Fendall II (December 18, 1794 – February 16, 1868) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the District Attorney of Washington, D.C. He was also a descendant of Philip Lee Sr., Philip Lee, a member of the Lee family ...
(1794–1868), Banker, lawyer and editor.
*
Peter Force (1790–1868), Publisher, Former mayor of
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
*
Joseph Gales Jr. (1786–1860), Journalist, Former mayor of
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
*
George Gibson (1775–1861), Commissary general in U.S. Army.
* James S. Gunnell MD (1788–1852), Physician, Dentist.
* Rev.
Ralph Randolph Gurley (1797–1872), Minister -
Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives for the 21st and 22nd Congresses and again for the 30th and 31st
*
George Hadfield (1763–1826), Architect, worked on the design of the U.S. Capitol building.
*
Benjamin Hallowell (1799–1877), Educator.
* Col.
Archibald Henderson (1783–1859),
Commandant of the Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps may refer to:
* Commandant of the Marine Corps (Indonesia)
* Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps
* Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps
* Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps
* Commandant of th ...
, serving from 1820 to 1859, later in Washington Monument Society.
* William Hewitt (d.1839), Register of Washington.
*
James Hoban (1758–1831), Irish Architect, designed the White House.
*
Benjamin Homans (d.1823), Chief Clerk of the Navy Department.
* Rev. Dr. Andrew Hunter (1750–1823), Minister, Continental Army and U.S. Navy chaplain.
*
Henry Huntt MD (1782–1838), First Health Officer of Washington.
*
Samuel D. Ingham (1779–1860), Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Served as Secretary of Treasury.
*
George E. Ironside (d.1827), Educator.
*
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
(1767–1845), Resident member - Seventh president of the United States.
*
Thomas P. Jones (1774–1848), Superintendent and
examiner
Examiner or The Examiner may refer to:
Occupations
* Bank examiner, a kind of auditor
* Examiner (Roman Catholicism), a type of office in the Roman Catholic Church
* Examinership, a concept in Irish law
* Medical examiner
* Patent examiner
* ...
of the
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency in the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark ...
.
*
Walter Jones (congressman) (1745–1815), District Attorney and Major General of the District Militia.
* Robert King (1775–1831), City of Washington, D.C., Surveyor.
*
Samuel L. Knapp (1783–1838), Writer, publisher or editor.
*
William Lambert (writer)
William Lambert (died 1834) was the Engrosser or Penman of the United States Bill of Rights whose handwritten copy of the Bill of Rights is displayed in the Charters of Freedom, Rotunda of the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives and Recor ...
(d.1834), Congressional clerk, engrosser of the Bill of Rights, Clerk of the Pension Office.
*
Samuel Lane (d.1822), Col., Commissioner of Public Buildings.
*
Benjamin Henry Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was a British-American Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical architect who immigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in ...
(1764–1820), Architect - Designed the
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...
.
* Rev.
James Laurie (1778–1853), Minister, First President of the Washington Botanical Society.
* Edmund Law (1790–1829), Washington City Common Council member, Son of Thomas Law.
[
* John Law (d.1822), Lawyer, Son of Thomas Law.]Alexander Macomb (American general)
Alexander Macomb (; April 3, 1782 – June 25, 1841) was an American military officer who was the Commanding General of the United States Army from 1828 until his death in 1841. Macomb was the field commander at the Battle of Plattsburgh during ...
(1782–1841), General in U.S. Army.
* Frederick May MD (1773–1847), Physician.[Nichols, p. 218.]
* George W. May MD (1789–1845), Physician, Brother of Dr. Frederick May.[
* Rev. William Matthews (1770–1854), Minister, Founder of St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum.
* John McClelland (1774–1845), Washington Monument Society.
* John McLean (1785–1861), Served as Postmaster General, Justice U.S. Supreme Court.
* Alexander McWilliams MD (1775–1850), Physician, Surgeon in Navy.][Nichols, p. 215.]
* Joseph Mechlin (), unknown.
* Josiah Meigs (1757–1822), Surveyor-general of the United States, one of original founders and trustees of Columbian College (now George Washington University
The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...
).Benjamin Orr
Benjamin Orr (, September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000) was an American musician. He was best known as the bassist, co-lead vocalist, and co-founder of the band the Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their hits, including "Just What I Nee ...
.
* Joel R. Poinsett (1779–1851), Served as Secretary of War.
* William Prout (1753–1823), City Hall Erection Committee.
* Richard Randall MD (1796–1829), Physician.
* Daniel Rapine (1768–1826), Publisher, 2nd Mayor of Washington, DC
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
.
* Isaac Roberdeau (1763–1829), Major, Surveyor in L'Enfant's Corps, Son of Daniel Roberdeau.
* John Rodgers (naval officer, War of 1812) (1772–1838), Commodore U.S. Navy.
* Richard Rush (1780–1859), Attorney General and Secretary of Treasury, Son of Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was an American revolutionary, a Founding Father of the United States and signatory to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social refor ...
who signed Declaration of Independence.
* Rudolph Schaer (), Educator.
* William Winston Seaton (1785–1866), Publisher, Former mayor of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
* Thomas Sewall MD (1786–1845), Physician.
* John T. Shaaff MD (1763–1819), Physician.[
* Thomas Sim MD (1770–1832), Physician.][
* Samuel L. Southard (1787–1842), Served as Secretary of the Navy, 10th Governor of New Jersey.
* Rev. Dr. ]William Staughton
William Staughton (January 4, 1770 – December 12, 1829) was a Baptist clergyman, educator, and music composer. He was also a Chaplain of the United States Senate and the first List of Presidents of The George Washington University, Pre ...
(1770–1829), Chaplain of the United States Senate
The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...
, Minister, First President of Columbian College.
* John Stretch (), Director of the Washington Library Company.
* Col. William Tatham (soldier) (1752–1819), Possessor of important scientific library.
* Pishey Thompson (1784–1862), Writer, publisher or editor.
* William Thornton
William Thornton (May 20, 1759 – March 28, 1828) was an American physician, inventor, painter and architect who designed the United States Capitol. He also served as the first Architect of the Capitol and first Superintendent of the United Sta ...
MD (1759–1828), Commissioner of Patents, Physician, Architect - designed the U.S. Capitol.
* Thomas Tingey (1750–1829), Commodore U.S. Navy, Washington Naval Yard.
* Nathan Towson (1784–1854), U.S. Army, Major-General, Paymaster General.
* John M. Thomas MD (1805–1853), Physician.
* Buckner Thruston
Buckner Thruston (February 9, 1763 – August 30, 1845) was an American lawyer, slaveowner and politician who served as United States Senator from Kentucky as well as in the Virginia House of Delegates and became a United States circuit judge o ...
(1764–1845), U.S. Federal Judge.
* Thomas L. Thruston (), Librarian of the Department of State, Son of Buckner Thruston.
* John Underwood (), Civilian, unknown.
* John Peter Van Ness (1770–1846), Banker, General of the District Militia, Former mayor of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
* Richard Wallach (1816–1881), Former mayor of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
(first Republican).
* Bailey Washington MD (1787–1854), Physician, American Naval Officer.
* Tobias Watkins MD (1780–1855), Fourth Auditor of the United States Treasury
The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments.
The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and ...
, writer, editor, and physician
* George Watterston (1783–1854), Writer, Librarian of the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
, a member of the city councils and trustee of the public schools.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
* Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and List of explorers, explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842).
During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 ...
(1798–1877), American Naval Officer and Explorer.
* Timothy Winn (1773–1836), U.S. Navy purser, One of the incorporators of the Navy Yard Bridge Company.
* William Wirt (Attorney General) (1772–1834), Author, Served as Attorney General.
* Nicholas W. Worthington MD (1789–1849), Physician.[Nichols, pp. 217–218.]
References
External links
United States Botanical Garden
Constitutional ordinance for the government of the Columbian Institute, October 11, 1820
{{authority control
1816 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Learned societies of the United States
1838 disestablishments in the United States