Famous Donors

Stories from the Vaults: Famous Donors

Tom takes us back to the origins of the Smithsonian's collections. He explores Teddy Roosevelt's hunting trophies, John Steinbeck's sea urchins, and Phyllis Diller's joke file. Add these to the roughly fifty thousand items donated annually, and you get a sense of the immense number of artifacts the Smithsonian holds in its museums.

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The Teddy Roosevelt You May Not Know

Our 26th President was not just a politician. He was also a hunter, conservationist and museum curator. And today, Teddy's collection of specimens is a part of the National Museum of Natural History.

There's MORE to the story. Discover the inspirations, see the artifacts and meet the experts of the Smithsonian Institution.

  • TEDDY ROOSEVELT AND THE SMITHSONIAN

    Want to learn more about the "Roosevelt Museum of Natural History?" The National Museum of Natural History had a lifelong connection to Teddy Roosevelt, even during his time in the White House.

    Connect to Smithsonian: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History