Smith, David

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Epithet: of Postling

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Epithet: Manager of the N British Insurance Office

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Epithet: bootmaker, of Glasgow

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Epithet: of Monks Horton

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David Smith was born in South Wales on 21 May 1930. He was educated at Colston's School, Bristol, and at St. Paul's School, London, and then studied at The Queen's College, Oxford, where he was awarded the degrees of B.A. (first class honours in Botany), 1951, and Ph.D., 1954. After National Service, his academic career continued with a research fellowship at Queen's and he was Harkness Visiting Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. Smith was back in Oxford in 1960, this time holding a University Lectureship in the Department of Agricultural Science, as well as an appointment as Royal Society Senior Research Fellow, then Tutorial Fellow and Admissions Tutor at Wadham College. In 1975, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Smith then held the Melville Wills Chair of Botany at the University of Bristol, and in 1980 he became Professor of Rural Economy at the University of Oxford and Head of the Department of Agricultural Science. In 1986 he was knighted, and in 1987 he was appointed Principal of Edinburgh University in succession to John Harrison Burnett.

The published work of Sir David Smith centres on the biology of symbiosis and was initially concerned with associations between algae and fungi, and latterly with a variety of associations between algae and animals. With A. Douglas he published The biology of symbiosis (1987).

During his period as Principal at Edinburgh, the University was confronted by challenges in the area of teaching (staff-student ratios), in research (assessments), and in financial policy, but through the resourceful leadeship that Smith provided, the University had been able to strengthen these areas again by the time that he retired in 1994.

Sir David Smith's portrait was painted by Scottish painter and printmaker Dame Elizabeth Blackadder (b. 1931) and it was unveiled on 21 March 1994.

From April 1994 to 2000, Sir David Smith was President of Wolfson College, Oxford.

From the guide to the Papers of Sir David Smith, Principal of Edinburgh University 1987-1994 (b. 1930), 1986-2006, (Edinburgh University Library)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Phillips, Wendell, 1811-1884. Papers, 1555-1882 (bulk: 1833-1881) Houghton Library
referencedIn Hugh Clark Papers., undated, 1947-1998. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Papers, 1900-1969 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn St. Cecilia Chorus collection of sound recordings, [sound recording], 1967- The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations. 1900 - 2003. Moving Images Relating to Military Aviation Activities. 1947 - 1984. SECRETARY TALBOTT'S FAREWELL CEREMONY National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Social Face of Death, 1996-1997 Indiana University, Bloomington. Center for the Study of History and Memory
referencedIn Duke University Oral History Program Collection, and undated, 1973-1978, 1992 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn Vol. XXII (ff. 79). Receipts, releases, etc., 1557-1747.includes:f. 1 Elisabeth Eylmyn: Quitclaim by her administrators to Sir R. and Lady Southwell: 1557.: Lat.f. 1 Sir Robert Southwell, Master of the Rolls 1542-1550: General quitclaim to him an..., 1557-1747 British Library
referencedIn Miscellaneous Manuscript Maps, 1747-1948 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Conference on Alternative State and Local Policies records, 1974-1986. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
creatorOf Papers of Sir David Smith, Principal of Edinburgh University 1987-1994 (b. 1930), 1986-2006 Edinburgh University Library
referencedIn Harvard Art Museum. Exhibition Records, 1905-2008 Harvard Art Museums. Archives
referencedIn Harry Levin papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Paul A. Freund papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn David Smith, of Postling: Letters of administration for his estate: 1722. British Library
referencedIn Vol. LIX (ff. 275). Oct. 1857-Sept. 1861.includes:f. 6 Harriet Salt, wife of J Salt, of Shrewsbury: Letter to Florence Nightingale: circ. 1857. f. 9 Anne Ward Morton, of King's College Hospital: Letter to Florence Nightingale: 1858. f. 11 Sir Rober... British Library
referencedIn United States Sanitary Commission records. Army and Navy Claim Agency archives, 1861-1870 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Papers of the Co-operative Commission 2000, Feb 1990-10 Jun 2001 (predominantly 2000-2001) National Co-operative Archive
referencedIn Rhees, William Jones, 1830-1907. William Jones Rhees Papers, 1744-1907 The Huntington Library
referencedIn Vol. CLXXVII (ff. 409). Aug.-Nov. 1863.Henry Richard Charles Wellesley, 1st Earl Cowley: Correspondence with Sir A. H. Layard: 1846-1881.includes:ff. 1, 46, 48, 100, 141-150, 310, 357, 359, 387 Sir Robert Burnett David Morier, GCB; diplomatist: Lett... British Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Clark, Hugh, 1914- person
associatedWith Conference on Alternative State and Local Policies (U. S.). corporateBody
associatedWith Duke University Oral History Program person
associatedWith Harvard Art Museum Archives corporateBody
associatedWith Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory corporateBody
associatedWith Levin, Harry, 1912-1994 person
correspondedWith LURA ELLA BEAM person
associatedWith Paul A. Freund person
correspondedWith Phillips, Wendell, 1811-1884 person
associatedWith Randolph, David person
associatedWith Smith Sir David b. 1930 person
associatedWith St. Cecilia Chorus corporateBody
associatedWith The Co-operative Commission 2000 corporateBody
associatedWith United States Sanitary Commission corporateBody
associatedWith University of Edinburgh corporateBody
correspondedWith Waite, M. R. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Guatemala, Central America
United States of America
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Kanagawa, Japan
Lisbon, Portugal
Ionian Islands, Greece
Subject
Universities and colleges Administration
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