Leonard Carmichael | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 7th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution | |
| In office 1953–1964 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Wetmore |
| Succeeded by | Sidney Dillon Ripley |
| 7th President of Tufts College | |
| In office 1938–1952 | |
| Preceded by | George Stewart Miller |
| Succeeded by | Nils Yngve Wessell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 9, 1898 |
| Died | September 16, 1973(1973-09-16) (aged 74) Washington, DC, US |
| Known for | Psychology |
| Awards | Public Welfare Medal (1972) |
| Scientific career | |
| Education | Tufts University(BS) Harvard University(PhD) |
| Institutions | National Geographic |
| Doctoral advisor | Walter Fenno Dearborn |
| Notable students | Harold Schlosberg |
Leonard Carmichael (November 9, 1898 – September 16, 1973) was an Americaneducator andpsychologist. In addition, he became the seventh secretary of theSmithsonian Institution in 1953.
Carmichael, the son of a physician and a teacher, was born in 1898, inGermantown, Pennsylvania. He received hisB.S. degree fromTufts University in 1921, and hisPhD fromHarvard University in 1924. He was a brother in theTheta Delta Chi fraternity during his time at Tufts. He became an instructor atPrinceton University'sDepartment of Psychology in 1924 and was appointed to assistant professor in 1926. In 1927 he joined the faculty atBrown University, where he taught for fourteen years and did research on the behavior of primates. He was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1932 and theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1942.[1][2] In 1937 he moved to theUniversity of Rochester and then, in 1938, he was appointed president of Tufts University, where he remained until his departure for the Smithsonian in 1953.[3]
Carmichael served as the secretary of theSmithsonian Institution from 1953 to 1964. He was the first Secretary to be hired from outside the Institution, rather than promoted from within. During Carmichael's tenure, theNational Portrait Gallery was created, the Patent Office Building was acquired for the American Art and Portrait Galleries, and the Museum of History and Technology (now theNational Museum of American History) was opened. New wings were added to theNational Museum of Natural History, theHope Diamond was donated byHarry Winston, and the Fénykövi elephant was unveiled in the rotunda of the Natural History Museum. TheSmithsonian Astrophysical Observatory was revitalized and moved toCambridge, Massachusetts. In 1957, whenSputnik was launched, the observatory was the only US lab capable of tracking the Soviet satellite. After the death of a visitor at theNational Zoological Park, Carmichael sought additional funding for major improvements to meet safety regulations. The Friends of the National Zoo was created and a Master Plan for zoo improvement was formulated and initiated.[3]
After leaving the Smithsonian, Carmichael became vice-president for research and exploration of theNational Geographic Society. In 1972 he was awarded thePublic Welfare Medal from theNational Academy of Sciences, of which he was also a member.[4][5] A Tufts University's community service organization, theLeonard Carmichael Society;Carmichael Hall, a dormitory and dining hall on the Tufts campus; and the lunar craterCarmichael were all named in his honor.
Carmichael is sometimes mentioned in connection with theMKULTRA project.[6]
He died on September 16, 1973.
