2 Pairs of Gloves Honor 'The Greatest' at The Smithsonian

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Abraham Lincoln's signature hat, an actual stretch of Route 66, entire rocket ships — symbols of America's legacy that fill buildings across D.C.'s National Mall.

In 1976, the Smithsonian's American History museum acquired Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves and robe for a bicentennial exhibit.

In a building filled with iconic items signifying the best and worst moments in our history, the boxing legend reportedly commented at the donation ceremony that the gloves would become "the most famous thing in this building."

Muhammad Ali died on Friday. He was 74.

The boxing gloves were a symbol of "The Greatest" at the height of his popularity. Fights in the ring had already cemented his name among the nation's top athletes of all time. Outside of the ring, courtroom battles against the draft had gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

More: Muhammad Ali Surprised World at '96 Olympic Games

Visitors this fall to the Smithsonian's latest museum site, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will see a different side of the legend, and a unique example of the drive and determination of a young Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay.

Museum exhibits will include a pair of practice gloves signed in January 1964 that read, “From Cassius Clay, Next Heavyweight Champion of the World.”

Just two months later, Ali would defeat Sonny Liston and claim the title of World Heavyweight Champion.

“They are more than just a piece of signed memorabilia, they’re a window into that moment and the creation of this mythic figure,” curator Paul Gardullo told Smithsonian.com in 2014. “His bold, brash prediction....You can think of that glove as a calling card. It’s an announcement of arrival.”

Photo from Smithsonian National Museum of American History