James Walter Dickinson Smith was born at Glasgow in c.1899 . His father is recorded as being John Smith a dress buyer. He studied at Glasgow University , graduating in 1920 as MA, and in 1927 with his Ed B. During the First world war he served as a second Lieutenant with the Royal Airforce. In 1925 he became an Assistant at Glasgow University in the Department of Education under William Boyd. He was promoted to Lecturer in 1928 . In the early 1930s his profession is listed as a Secretary and for a while he lived in Surrey, England. In c.1937 he moved to Edinburgh. By 1940, he had gained his BD at Edinburgh and had become a Minister in Dumfriesshire. In c.1944 he returned to Glasgow and became the Director of Religious Instruction, becoming the Principal Lecturer in Religious Education in c.1949. In c.1954 he gained his DD from the University of Edinburgh , two years later becoming the Director of Religious Studies.
From the guide to the Papers of James Walter Dickinson Smith, fl 1926-1954, lecturer in religious education, University of Glasgow, Scotland, c1920-1929, (Glasgow University Archive Services)
