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The online database of the National Postal Museum, Arago™, was named in honor of the French physicist, astronomer and politician, François Arago (1786-1853). A friend of James Smithson (benefactor of the Smithsonian Institution), Arago believed that science and available technologies should be used to advance public knowledge and improve everyday life. Renowned as a scientist, he was also a humanitarian who used his political roles to introduce social reforms – the abolition of slavery, universal manhood suffrage, and the education of the lower classes – not only in France but also in its colonial possessions.