Background
Smith was born on 6 January 1885 to Elizabeth Mayher Smith and Erastus G. Smith in Beloit, Wisconsin, where his father was Professor of Chemistry at the College.
Smith was born on 6 January 1885 to Elizabeth Mayher Smith and Erastus G. Smith in Beloit, Wisconsin, where his father was Professor of Chemistry at the College.
Smith attended Beloit College, where he concentrated on botany and chemistry, and graduated in 1907.
He was best known for his books, particularly the Freshwater Algae of the United States, the Marine Algae of the Monterey Peninsula and the two volumes of Cryptogamic Botany. He taught science at the high school in Stoughton, Wisconsin for the next two years, before beginning graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin in 1909, where he started work on the algal genus Oedogonium. He interrupted his studies for a one-year teaching appointment at Pomona College in 1910-1911.
He remained in the Botany Department at Wisconsin, where he continued to work on algae, especially desmids, eventually reaching the position of associate professor
He was invited to Stanford University for 1923-1924, and in 1925 became Professor of Botany there. In 1950 he became Emeritus Professor, but remained scientifically active until his death on 11 July 1959.
The standard author transcript G.M.Sm. is used to indicate this individual as the author when citing a botanical name. Several species and genera of algae have been named in honor of Gilbert M. Smith:
Gilbertsmithia M.O.P. Iyengar
Smithiella British Public Skvortsov
Smithimastix British Public Skvortsov
Smithora G.J. Hollenberg
Hymenena smithii Kylin
Gymnogongrus smithii Taylor
Pseudostaurastrum smithii Bourrelly
Chlamydomonas smithiana Pascher
Dactylococcopsis smithii R. & F. Chodat
Tetradesmus smithii Prescott
Debarya smithii Transeau
Gloeochloris smithiana Pascher
Polysiphonia flaccidissima various smithii Hollenberg.