The colored American., 1901-03-30

The subject OF tb sketch wss born
~ Dublin county, n O.. May %, 1862.
ua took Il books early in life and was
Tagsrded as an apt pupll. Eeing able to
road and write at the age OF eig ut years
uo became teacher in the public
scbo0ls in 1870. and, Don was cOnVinc-
ad that thorough preparation was an in
disnpnsabl9 requisite to insure success
es teacher hence In October 1872, he en-
tered Shaw Unlvtr$i y, Raleigh, n T..
He at once 10 * nigh rank as q dill
gen. end accurate student; this com
manded HIM to { 1e favor of the faculty
and rained for him theIT unstinted cor
fdonc4 and esteem, which he has evtr
strivsn 10 aDpTe rate.
During the Y ars 1874, he travelled
with other students OF The institu To-,
tbrOuoh the New England S ates, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia and different
psrts OF & ,nada. and assisted in raising
for s Shaw Univ rsity mo than $40, 900,
mos of which ia 6ed through his
hands He was graduated with the de-
gree Of A. B at Shaw University, May
% 1873 The foil owing year, he was
cnos-n pin ipal Of the CT school at
Golds7or0, n. G; here it may be said
that Dr. Smith, wi b his five assistant
teachers and thee TO four hundred pu-
mis- began the career Of the pro O'essiOn
wherein be has ac chieved signal success
In. the wear 1880 be wal aOpOiAted
Fy the Govern or. MajHr Of the Fourth
Battalion of the State Guard. a position
which hoflIe with gTeata :, e Dtab llty
In May 1881, the gree Of A. Nj was
conferred on him by bis alma mater.
DurOg the same year he began the
publication The Carolina E0ter prise.
which he successfully conducted for
mora than two y5ars without interrupt
ing his dntie9 as principal or major. In
August 1888, he was elected by the
State B )ard of Education prin eip8l of
the S'a Normal OF North Carolina,
which position Re filled to the entire
satisfaction Of all oNnrerned, until he
resigned in May 1893. to accert r. pO-
aitiOn OF Minis ar r. sident ard Consul
General 10 the Republic of Liberia. In
the performance of the duties Of this
high office, Minister Smith was fre-
quentIy mOlImented by the authOTi-
ties for efficient service. While abroad
he was brought into almCst daily COM
tact with DR. Blyden, Pre-. tdent john
Rton and other scholars Of eminence
He readily took advantage Of the oo-
pOrtunity and prosecuted a special
course in philosophy. Returning to the
United States. s Shaw University, IN 1891
conferred on him the degree Phi D.
During the year 1892 DR. Smith visit
ed Liberia. Sierra Leone and other
points IN Africa as the special agent IF
the American COlOniZ iZatiOn Society. It
was while Ou this trio, our subjec5 Wis
lted Ireland, SEQ land; be having visit.
cd England and Wales previously
In 1873 DIR. Smith again entered the
educational work by acceptiDg the
nF'nClpalship OF the city High and
GRADED School Of AsheVill-. n. &. Here
The school consisted of seven teachers
ana sOm' five to six bundrAd pupils.
ms position he resigned 1885 TO accept
q mll8T one % the central State MOI
nal School at Fayetteville. N. C.. After
serving this institution as principal for
sperIOd of two yeats and thst at Colds
moro for one year, he resigned to accept
from the Governor t"e POSITION of adiu-
taut OF the Third n @. Regiment to
war against Spain, 10 this, as in other
positions whe' ejn our subject has been
called upon to assume exaciing respon-
S0lltles, he proved himself capable
and easily equal to the task Of perform
lng efficiently every trust devOlving.
Is soon as his regiment was mustered
out OF service, he as Of yOre, re-entered
his chosen profession by accepting for
third time the princiT alship Of the
North Carolina central Sfste Normal
school, at Fayetteville. which position
ne now fills State upe~intendent OF
IuOlIC Instrun ntiOn Hon ! 4 ScRrhnr