Background
Smith was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, of mixed Irish and Hawaiian ancestry.
Smith was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, of mixed Irish and Hawaiian ancestry.
He attended Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and swam for the Ohio State Buckeyes swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (National Collegiate Athletic Association) competition.
He was one of the most successful competitive swimmers in the United States in the first half of the 20th Century. As a college swimmer, he was undefeated in three years of dual meet competition, and was a four-time All-American. At one time, Smith held all of the world records in freestyle swimming events between the 200-meter and 1,000-meter distances.
Smith was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1966.
He died February 8, 2013. He was 88 years old.