Arthur Smith Woodward was born in Macclesfield on 23 May 1864, and was educated in Macclesfield and at Owens College Manchester. He entered the British Museum in 1882, became Assistant Keeper of Geology in 1892, and was Keeper of the Geological Department from 1901 to 1924. He became occupied with researches into extinct vertebrata, especially fish, and travelled extensively to South America and Greece. He co-operated with Charles Dawson in the discovery and interpretation of the Piltdown skull, 1912-1914. Throughout his life, he received many medals from various societies. He was Secretary of the Palaeontographical Society, 1900-1934, President of the Geologists Association, 1904-1906, and President of the Geological Society, 1914-1916. He wrote many papers, mainly about fish and geological surveys. He was knighted in 1924 and elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1901. Smith Woodward died on 2 September 1944.
From the guide to the Smith Woodward Papers, 1871-1939, (University College London)
