Thomas Broun Smith, British editor. Bar: barrister at law England 1938; advisory Scotland 1947; Queen's counsel 1956. Decorated knight bachelor Queen of Great Britain; named a honorary bencher Gray's Inn, 1987.
Background
Smith was the son of John Smith, Doctor of Laws, Justice of the Peace, and Agnes Smith. He married in 1940, Ann Dorothea Tindall. He studied at Christ Church, Oxford, (Master of Arts 1937, Boulter exhibitioner, Eldon Scholar).
He was called to the English Bar by Gray"s Inn in 1938 and admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland in 1947.
He obtained a Data Control Language (Oxfordshire) in 1956 and a LL.D from the University of Edinburgh in 1980.
He was awarded an honorary LL.D at the University of Cape Town. He was made a Knight in 1981.
Education
Bachelor, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Civil Law, Data Control Language, Oxford University, England, 1956. Doctor of Laws, Edinburgh University, Scotland, 1962. Doctor of Laws (honorary), University Cape Town, Republic of South Africa, 1959.
Doctor of Laws (honorary), University Aberdeen, Scotland, 1969. Doctor of Laws (honorary), University Glasgow, Scotland, 1978.
Career
He served in the Gordon Highlanders and Royal Artillery from 1937 to 1946 and was mentioned in dispatches. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Smith was attached to the Foreign Office in 1946-1947.
In 1949 he became Professor of Scots Law at the University of Aberdeen and was Dean of the Faculty of Law 1950-1953 and 1956-1958.
In 1956 he became a Queen"s Counsel. From 1958 to 1968 he was Professor of Civil Law at the University of Edinburgh and from 1968 to 1972 Professor of Scots Law.
In 1980 he became the General Editor of the Laws of Scotland: Stair Memorial Encyclopedia. Professor Smith was Visiting Professor at Tulane University (Louisiana) 1958 and at Harvard Law School 1962-1963 and he was Tagore Professor, Calcutta, 1977.
He was United Kingdom representative to committees of experts at the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and the Council of Europe.
He has been described as one of the most influential, interesting and controversial figures in the development of modern Scots law.
Lieutenant colonel Territorial Army, Scotland, 1950-1955. Served to lieutenant colonel British Army, 1939-1946, European Theatre of Operations, Mediterranean Theatre of Operations. Fellow British Academy, Royal Society Edinburgh.
Member American Association for the Advancement of Science (foreign honorary member), Law Society Scotland (honorary). Clubs: Naval and Military (London). New (Edinburgh).
Interests
Avocations: reading, foreign traveling.
Connections
Son of; married Ann Dorothea Tindall, February 3, 1940. 1 child, Carolyn Ann Ouchterlony.