Outlines of Psychology, Succinctly Presented. with Illustrations and a Chart
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William Waugh Smith was an American educator and the president of Randolph-Macon College.
Background
He was born on March 12, 1845 at Warrenton, Virginia, United States, was the son of Richard McAllister Smith and Ellen Harris Blackwell, both members of families connected with the educational development of Virginia. The father, a first cousin of Gov. William Smith, 1797-1887, was principal of the academy at Warrenton, editor of the Alexandria Evening Sentinel and subsequently of the Richmond Enquirer, and in his later life professor of natural sciences in Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia.
Education
Willie Waugh, as he was known in his youth, was educated in his father's academy and in the Quaker Academy at Alexandria, Virginia, until the outbreak of the Civil War.
In 1867 he entered the University of Virginia and completed the course in Latin in one year, which according to accepted custom gave him the right to be a "graduate of the University of Virginia. " The next year he went to Randolph-Macon College, and graduated in Greek in one year. He graduated at Randolph-Maconwith the degree of A. M. in 1871.
Career
Smith was rejected twice for military service as a "little boy in knee pants, " but in 1862 was accepted as a volunteer. He served in the Confederate army until 1865, acting in intervals as reporter of the Confederate Senate for his father's paper, the Enquirer, and rejoining his regiment at the beginning of each campaign. He was wounded at Seven Pines, at Sharpsburg and at Gettysburg, and kept through his later life the little diary, with embedded bullet, that saved his life on one occasion.
He taught a year in Lane's University School in Richmond. From 1871 to 1874 he served as co-principal of Bethel Academy and as its principal from 1874 to 1878. Then called to Randolph-Macon College, he occupied there, successively, the chairs of mental and moral philosophy, Greek, and Latin.
While professor of Latin in 1886 he was elected president of the college. He soon became convinced that honest college work was impossible while colleges in the South were admitting totally unprepared students with the sole requirement that they be sixteen years old. To prepare students especially for Randolph-Macon College, in 1890 he established an academy at Bedford City, Virginia, and another in 1892 at Front Royal. In scholastic requirements, in training of faculty, and in building and equipment, the two academies were the standard toward which the state moved and which in many particulars only the best of the modern Virginia high schools have equaled. At the time of his inauguration as president of Randolph-Macon College, the state had five colleges and two universities for men, but not a single standard college for women. He launched plans for the erection of Randolph-Macon Woman's College at Lynchburg.
From 1897 he was also chancellor of the Randolph-Macon System. That year he caused to be established an institute for girls at Danville. During his administration at the Woman's College he was bitterly attacked for having the college enrolled on the "accepted list" of the Carnegie Foundation, which required that trustees "should remain free from control of any other body. " The college board of trustees was a self-perpetuating body, but had been closely identified with the Virginia conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. After enduring the attack of certain Methodist leaders for two years, Smith agreed to the passage of a resolution by the board itself that elections of trustees be approved by the Methodist conferences in Virginia. Accordingly, the college withdrew from the Carnegie list.
He died on November 29, 1912 in Lynchburg City, Virginia.
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Personality
Quick in thought and plan, physically and mentally energetic, he was tireless in work, devoted in purpose, inspiring in leadership. He even sold his own home to speed up an endowment subscription. He lived up to his own motto, "What must be done, can be done".
Quotes from others about the person
He wrote in 1890: "We wish to establish in Virginia a college where our young women may obtain an education equal to that given in our best colleges for young men and under environments in harmony with the highest ideals of womanhood".
Connections
Smith was twice married, first, to Ella Jones, of Richmond, on October 1, 1869; and after her death to Marion Love Howison of Alexandria, on January 27, 1875. He had no children.