Smithsonian’s history
Background: Smithsonian’s history started when Edward K. Thompson, the former editor of Life magazine, was asked by Smithsonian’s then-Secretary, S. Dillon Ripley, to create a report “on issues that the Smithsonian Institution is interested in, may be interested in, or should be interested in.” Thompson would later remember that his idea for the new magazine was that in already open minds it would raise interest. It would deal with history as important to the present.