David Smith (botanist)

Smith was the youngest of two sons, brother to Frank. His parents were William Smith, a mining engineer, and Elva who was a teacher.[2] Smith's brother Frank was killed in Canada. In the 1920s, Smith's parents went to work in Sinai desert.[2] His father initially worked as a mining engineer, before securing a position as the director of a Manganese mine.[4] The family remained in the Sinai desert until the end of World War II, except for occasional periods of leave. In one such period, Smith was born, and lived in the Sinai desert until he was five, when he returned to the UK to live with his grandparents and an aunt.[4]

Smith's early education was at Colston's School, Bristol. When his parents returned to the UK to live in Hatch End, London,[2] Smith was moved to St Paul's School, London, to continue his education.[5] It was while St Paul's School, that his interest in the subject of biology started, while on field trips.[4] Smith then studied botany at The Queen's College, Oxford was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Botany, achieving a First-class honours in 1951.[5] Smith immediately followed this with a promotion to D.Phil in 1954.[4]

In 1965, he married Lesley Mutch, a Scottish doctor and had three children together, called Bryony, Adam and Cameron. Upon his retirement, the family returned to Morningside in Edinburgh in 2000.[4]

Smith completed his Doctor of Philosophy in two years, as his National service was impending. He spent his time in Germany, and joined the Intelligence Corps to research Nuclear warfare.[4] Upon returning from national service, he was appointed to a research fellowship at The Queen's College, Oxford before, before visiting the United States under a Harkness Fellowship to conduct research at the University of California, Berkeley.[6][1]

Smith returned to the United Kingdom to a post as a university lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Science at University of Oxford. Smith was then appointed as a Royal Society Senior research fellow at Wadham College, Oxford from 1964 to 1971. From 1971 to 1974 Smith followed up that position at the same college as Tutorial Fellow (a senior Oxford academic rank), followed by Admissions Tutor at the same college.[6]

From 1970 to 1980 Smith held the Melville Wills Chair of Botany at Bristol University. Smith subsequently returned to position at Oxford in 1980 as the Sibthorpian Professor of Rural Economy,[6] named in honour of John Sibthorp. With that position was director of the Department of Agricultural Science.[6]

In 1987 to 1994, Smith was appointed as Principal of the University of Edinburgh.[7] From 1994 to September 2000 Smith was President of Wolfson College[8] He became an Honorary Fellow of Wadham College in 2002.

He was a distinguished supporter of Humanists UK.[9]

He was a member of the Advisory Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering.[10]

Smith also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1993[11] He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1975 and was biological secretary from 1983–1987.[3][12] Smith was awarded the Gold Medal for Botany of the Linnean Society and served as its President (2000–2003). In 2003 he received the Acharius Medal from the International Association for Lichenology.[13]