Statue of Joseph Henry in front of Smithsonian Castle

Joseph Henry (1797-1878) was an American scientist who served as the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. During his lifetime, he was considered one of the greatest American scientists since Benjamin Franklin. While building electromagnets, Henry discovered the electromagnetic phenomenon of self-inductance. He also discovered mutual inductance independently of Michael Faraday, though Faraday was the first to publish his results. Henry's work on the electromagnetic relay was the basis of the electrical telegraph, jointly invented by Samuel Morse and Charles Wheatstone.

The SI unit of inductance, the henry, is named after Henry.

Photo 113, Nov 2008

Statue of Joseph Henry in front of Smithsonian Castle

Photo 250, Nov 2008

Statue of Joseph Henry in front of the Smithsonian Castle.

The first Smithsonian Secretary, Joseph Henry, served from 1846 to 1878. A professor at the College of New Jersey, he was a physicist who conducted pioneering research in electromagnetism and helped set the Smithsonian on its course.

Nov 2016, Photo 335