Evening star., 1941-09-29
Dr.. Hugh Mccormick Smith,
Ex-Chief of Fisheries, Dead
Famous Scientist
Had Made Studies
Throughout World

DR.. Hugh Mccormick Smith, in
ternationally prominent ichthy-
ologist and former United States
commissioner of fisheries, died yes
terday at his home, 1909 Nj
street NV
DR.. Smith, who was connected
with the United States fishery serv-
ice for So years, was commissioner
from 1913 to 1922, having served
as deputy commissioner from 1908.
He was adviser in fisheries to the
Siamese government from 1923 to
! 1884
He was born in Washington No
vember q, 1865, the son of Thomas
Croggon and Cornelia Hazard Smith,
and was educated at Central High
School and the Medical School of
Georgetown University, from
which he received his medical
degree in 1885, He also received an
LII. D. degree from Dickinson in
1908.
Entered Service in 1886.
| DR.. Smiths interest in scientific
work was awakened while he was
still in high school by Prof. Spencer
Baird, who was commissioner when
DR.. Smith entered the Fish Com
mission in 1886. He was assistant
in charge of the division of fishery
industries from 1893 to 1897, and
from then until 1903 was assistant
in charge of inquiry on food fishes
and fishing grounds.
In 1900 he was named to repre-
sent the Government at the first
international fishery congress at
Paris, and represented the country
at the third congress at Vienna in
1905 and served as secretary gen.
eral of the fourth congress held here
in 1908.
In 1901 and 1902 he was director
OF the marine fisheries biological
laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass.
ana from 1907 to 1910 served as
director of a Government expedi-
tlon TO investigate development of
Ilsherles IN the Philippine Islands.
Dr. Smith was a member of the
medical faculty of Georgetown Uni
VerSlty from 1888 to 1902
Or. Smith was named expert spe-
clal assistant to the United States
counsel at the arbitration hearing
OF the North Atlantic fisheries dis
pute held at The Hague in 1910. and
was appointed by President Taft
the same year as member of the
international commission for the
settlement of disputes arising with
Canada and Newfoundland under
the award of The Hague tribunal.
Two years later he represented this
Government on the permanent in
ternatlonal council for the explora-
ton OF the sea and the following
year was appointed by the Presi-
dent as joint commissioner on be-
half of the country for the control
OF fisheries in the boundary waters
OF the United States and Canada.
International Studies.
In the 81 years from 1900 to 1921,
DR.. Smith investigated fisheries in
Canada, France, Great Britain, Nor
way, Denmark, Germany, Holland,
Belgium, Italy, Hawaiian Islands,
Japan, China, the Philippines,
Borneo and Ceylon He also made
a number of extended trips in this
country.
At the time of his resignation in
1922, he was the only fish COM
missioner since the establishment
of the bureau who had risen from
the bottom r. the top. When Her.
bert Hoover vas Secretary of Com
merce he wrote of DR.. Smith:
I believe your service for So
years, rising from the bottom to
the top, in one of our great scientific
bureaus, is unique in the history of
| the Government"
DR.. Smith not only put into ef-