Willard Harvey Smith, North American Mennonite historian, was born 15 October 1900 near Eureka, IL, the eldest child of John J. and Katie E. Smith Smith. On 13 September 1930 he married Verna Graber . After graduating from Hesston Academy in 1920, Smith's education included: Hesston College (1920-1921), Goshen College, (BA, 1928), the University of Michigan (MA, 1929), the University of Chicago, and Indiana University (PhD, 1939). Teaching at Goshen College, 1929-1972, he became full professor of history and political science in 1942, served as dean of men (1932-1935), and chaired the social sciences division from 1949 to 1968. He directed Mennonite Central Committee work in Paraguay (1944-1945). Smith was a member and officer of a variety of professional historical, political science, and teachers' associations. His writings include: Paraguayan Interlude (Scottdale, 1950); Schuyler Colfax: The Changing Fortunes of a Political Idol (1952); William Jennings Bryan, Christian Reformer (1969); The Social and Religious Thought of William Jennings Bryan (1975); Mennonites in Illinois (Scottdale, 1983); and his autobiography, The Trail to Santa Fe: A Pilgrim's Progress (1985). Willard H. Smith died 17 November 1998 in Goshen.  

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 830. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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