Dr. William Ernest Smith (1892-1969) was Dean of the Graduate School and Head of the History Department of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, with a number of important book titles to his credit. Toge...view moreDr. William Ernest Smith (1892-1969) was Dean of the Graduate School and Head of the History Department of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, with a number of important book titles to his credit. Together with his wife, Ophia Smith, he co-authored various books of Ohio and American history, including the three-volume History of Southwestern Ohio: The Miami Valleys. Dr. Smith was a member of Miami University’s history faculty from 1926 until his retirement in 1962. He served as chairman of the Department of History from 1934-1957; Dean of the Graduate School from 1950-1959; Research Professor of History from 1959-1962; curator of the McGuffey Collection from 1946 until the opening of the McGuffey museum; and director of that Museum from 1959-1962. As he became Professor Emeritus of History and Dean Emeritus of the Graduate School, Miami University conferred the honorary degree Doctor of Letters upon him in 1962. Dr. Smith died on December 12, 1969.
Ophia Delilah Smith (1891-1994) was a well-known lecturer and frequent contributor to historical periodicals. She wrote a series of articles on the New Jerusalem Church and early churchmen for The Ohio State Archeological and Historical Quarterly and co-authored a number of books with her husband, Dr. William E. Smith, including this biography of Col. John H. James, founder of Urbana University. Ophia Smith died on February 23, 1994, at the age of 103.view less