September 23, 2003

Dr. Frank Smith '36 Sc.D. '69 passed away Sept. 23, at his home in Pebble Beach, Calif. Smith had been ill for an extended period of time. Currently, no details are available on any of his arrangements. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Smith served on the Board of Trustees from 1970-85 and has remained an Honorary Trustee from 1985 until the present. The Dr. Frank P. Smith '36 Squash Center at the Elliott Varsity House was made possible through his generosity.

Frank Pye Smith was born on October 22, 1915, in Rochester, N.Y. In 1932, he graduated from Charlotte High School, where he played soccer, tennis, golf, and basketball. He was also senior class president, president of the student's association and a member of the National Honor Society.

At Hobart, Smith was elected to Epsilon Pi Sigma and Phi Delta Sigma honorary societies and he earned freshman and sophomore honors. He also played lacrosse and basketball and was active in the Debate and International Relations Clubs, the Herald, and Little Theatre. He graduated cum laude in 1936 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and math. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

After an internship at Strong Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., in surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, Smith entered the U.S. Army Medical Corps in 1942. He served with Patton's Third Army and rose to commander of the medical unit. Smith received three Battle Stars and a Purple Heart and was discharged in 1946 as a captain. He returned to the University of Rochester in 1949 as an instructor in neurology and assistant surgeon and became chairman of the Division of Neurological Surgery by 1954, a position he held until 1974. Smith then moved to California and started a private practice. In 1985, he was elected president of the California Neurosurgical Association.

Throughout his life, Smith was an outstanding player and a nationally recognized ambassador of squash. The "Father of Hobart Squash" captained the U.S. team in the 1965 Lapham Cup-Grant Trophy Contest against Canada. In 1979, he was a finalist in the 60+ age group. In 1986-87, he was a national champion in the 70+ age group and was ranked number one.

Dr. Smith was inducted into the National Intercollegiate Squash Racquets Association (NISRA) Hall of Fame in 1994. He is a former director of NISRA. Four years later, Smith was inducted into the Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame.

His wife, Ruth, passed away in 1994. He is survived by his two children, Susan and Frank Jr.