William L. (Bill) Smith, 79, a retired educator
with the U.S. Department of Education passed peacefully on
Friday, February 29, 2008 at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver
Spring, MD. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Smith
earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Wiley College in
Marshall, Texas, and a master's degree in education from the
University of Massachusetts at Boston. In 1970 he received his
Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dr. Smith held a variety of top-echelon posts in the U.S.
Department of Education and its predecessor agency, the U.S.
Office of Education, over a period of 40 years. He occupied
senior positions in the fields of Special Education, Teacher
Development, Civil Rights, Career and Vocational Education,
and Inter-governmental and Inter-agency Affairs, and in the
Office of Management. His distinguished career highlighted his
talents as a leader and educator. Equally important, Bill was
a mentor to many people and breaker of barriers for many
others. He will be remembered for his wit and wisdom, his
unwavering commitment to human and civil rights, and his quest
for access to a quality education for every child.
Dr. Smith was especially proud of the eight years he served as
Director of the Teacher Corps Program, beginning in the early
1970’s. His efforts helped to develop and shape this national
program through which thousands of talented, liberal arts
graduates were prepared to be effective teachers in
understaffed urban schools. Under his leadership, the Teacher
Corps Program provided unprecedented internships for
individuals considering a teaching career as well as
professional development for veteran teachers.
Dr. Smith's distinguished career as an educator, scholar, and
administrator began after his service in the 1st Calvary
Division, U.S. Army, in combat, in Korea, where he received
the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart. His teaching
career began in Boston and continued in Cleveland where he
later became principal of the largest junior high school in
Ohio. Immediately prior to beginning his career in government,
he was Executive Director of the PACE Association, a program
for action by citizens in education in Cleveland.
Dr. Smith authored over three-dozen articles and presented
papers at conferences on education, including the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's
International Conference on Teacher Education at Geneva,
Switzerland and at the International Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development in Paris. Dr. Smith also lectured
at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland.
Dr. Smith received numerous awards and commendations for his
contributions and dedication to excellence in education,
teacher education, and public service. Among his awards are
Educator of the Year, Distinguished Service in Education, and
three Presidential Rank awards as both a meritorious and a
distinguished executive. In 1999 he was honored as a Living
Legend in the National Alliance of Black School Educators Hall
of Fame. Lehigh University presented him with the 2000
Outstanding Service to the Field of Education Award. In 2001
Case Western Reserve selected him for the Grazell Shepard
Memorial Award and Lehigh University honored him with his
sixth honorary Doctorate.
Of Dr. Smith's many achievements, his nomination and
appointment by confirmation of the U.S. Senate to the post of
U.S. Commissioner of Education stands out. He was the first
career employee to hold the post and was also the first and
only African-American Commissioner.
Athletics and music were Bill’s passions from an early age. He
was active in football, basketball, tennis and track during
high school and entered college on an athletic and music
scholarship. He played drums and became a member of Wiley
College’s nationally acclaimed 21-piece jazz band. While
teaching high school in Cleveland, Bill was a basketball scout
and assistant to the head coach. Bill continued to be an avid
sports fan and loved to play pinochle and duplicate bridge, in
which he achieved the level of “expert.” After his retirement
in 2006, he loved renewing old friendships and consulting with
educators throughout the nation.
Survivors include his wife of 20 years, Audrey M. Smith of
Silver Spring, MD; four children, Warren Smith (Karen) of
Gaithersburg, MD; Denise Smith Withers of Washington, DC;
Kraig Boone of Virginia Beach, VA; Kay Boone also of VA: five
grandchildren, Eryn, Alexander, Clayton, Jasmyne, and Rebecca;
a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Daniel and Jean Minor of
Inglewood. A memorial service will be held on March 19, 2008
from 10am to 12 noon at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Bethesda,
MD.
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