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Catalog Data

Creator:
Smithsonian Institution Office of Protection Services  Search this
Subject:
Grimsley, Carl E  Search this
Burke, Robert B. Jr. 1929-  Search this
Boocks, G. Clifford  Search this
Hines, Charles A  Search this
Sofield, Michael J  Search this
Morrell, David F  Search this
McLaughlin, James J  Search this
Lynch, William T  Search this
Hall, Douglas  Search this
O'Toole, Jeanne  Search this
Reese, Michael E  Search this
Wallace, Mark  Search this
District of Columbia Police Department  Search this
United States Park Police  Search this
United States Office of National Capital Parks  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Buildings Management Department Division of Buildings and Superintendence  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Buildings Management Department Division of Construction and Labor  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Buildings Management Department Division of Buildings and Labor  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Buildings Management Department Division of Buildings and Grounds  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Buildings Management Service Protection Division  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Buildings Management Division Protection Division  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Office of Support Activities Office of Protection Services  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Office of Facilities Services Office of Protection Services  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations Office of Protection Services  Search this
Smithsonian Facilities Office of Protection Services  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Office of the Under Secretary for Administration  Search this
Type:
Mixed archival materials
Date:
1882
1882-
Category:
Agency History
Notes:
This is an agency history. It does not describe actual records. The Smithsonian Institution Archives uses these histories as brief accounts of the origin, development, and functions of an office or administrative unit to set that unit in its historical context. To find information on record holdings, please double-click the highlighted field "Creator/Author", which will open on a brief view of relevant records.
Smithsonian Institution Directory, 1965
Report by the Comptroller General of the United States, page 30, 1978
Robert B. Burke obituary, Washington Post, 1991
"Doug Hall Named Acting Director for Office of Protection Services," Chronology of Smithsonian History, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_13838, accessed January 23, 2023
Smithsonian Staff Directory, 1965, 1972-1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2002
Smithsonian Institution Annual Report, 1882, 1923, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1958
Smithsonian Year, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1979
Report of the U.S. National Museum, 1896, 1897, 1903, 1904, 1914, 1915
Report by the Comptroller General of the United States, page 30, 1978
"Organization Chart, 1971," Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 532, Smithsonian Institution, Buildings Management Department, Records
FY2017 Smithsonian Facilities Performance Report, Smithsonian Facilities, 2017
Record Series 238: Director's Records, 1978-2000, Smithsonian Institution Archives, https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_259432, accessed January 23, 2023
Smithsonian Office of Protective Services website, https://security.si.edu/, accessed February 6, 2023
Smithsonian Under Secretary for Administration website, https://www.si.edu/about/ousa, accessed February 23, 2023
In 1882 the Division of Buildings and Labor was authorized to employ four watchmen to protect the buildings and grounds of the Smithsonian Institution. The powers and duties of the watchmen were the same as those of the District's Metropolitan Police. Pursuant to 40 U.S.C. 193n, the Smithsonian was authorized to employ special policemen to police the buildings and grounds of the Institution. The special police were authorized to concurrently enforce, with the United States Park Police, the laws and regulations of National Capital Parks.
The division that the watchmen/guards belonged to changed names several times: Division of Buildings and Superintendence, 1897-1903; Division of Construction and Labor, 1904-1914; Division of Buildings and Labor, 1915-1953; Division of Buildings and Grounds, 1954-1957.
In 1958, as part of an administrative reorganization, the guard force was renamed to the Protection Division under the newly-made Buildings Management Service. In 1968, the Buildings Management Service became the Buildings Management Division.
The Office of Protection Services was created on January 7, 1973. It was part of the Office of Support Activities, 1973-1978, which changed names several times: the Office of Facilities Services, 1979-2000; the Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations, 2001-2015; and Smithsonian Facilities, 2015-2016.
At the end of Fiscal Year 2016, the Office of Protection Services became a separate unit under the Under Secretary of Administration. The office is led by a director. The Office of Protection Services's duties include providing physical, operational, and personnel security needs for Smithsonian assets and facilities. The department provides police services, operates the lost and found, and identification card services for the Smithsonian.
Heads of the office include: Carl E. Grimsley, Chief, 1965-1972; Robert B. Burke, Jr., Director, 1973-1991; G. Clifford Boocks, Acting Director, 1992; Charles A. Hines, Director, 1993-1994; Michael J. Sofield, Acting Director, 1995; David F. Morrell, Director, 1996-2002; James J. McLaughlin, Director, 2002-2011; William T. Lynch, Director, 2011-2013; Douglas Hall, Acting Director, 2013; Jeanne O'Toole, Director, 2014-2020; Michael E. Reese, Acting Director, 2020-2021; and Mark Wallace, Director, 2021- .
For a history of the larger creating unit, refer to "Forms part of" above.
Repository Loc.:
Smithsonian Institution Archives Capital Gallery, Suite 3000, MRC 507; 600 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20024-2520
Topic:
Police  Search this
Museums--Security  Search this
Museums--Security measures  Search this
Museums--Safety measures  Search this
Local number:
SIA AH00448
Data Source:
Smithsonian Institution Archives
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_arc_404646