Smith was born in Montgomery, WV in 1945 and grew up in Cranford, NJ. He graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in history; and then he continued his studies in history at Rutgers University, where he received his master’s degree in 1969 and doctoral degree in 1972.
Smith was a teacher, scholar, and writer for 50 years. His teaching career started at LaGrange College in 1972 and continued at Ferrum College, where Smith taught from 1976 to 2018. Smith taught over 8,000 students during his lifetime, with about 7,000 students being Ferrum attendees.
While at Ferrum, Smith directed the International Programs during the 1980s and 1990s and took students to Kenya, Egypt, and Peru. In addition, Smith enjoyed teaching an array of ancient history and world history courses, including Chinese, Indian, Southeast Asian, North African, and many other subjects.
Smith once talked about his time at Ferrum, with great emphasis on the deep-rooted beliefs that Ferrum College had made him a great teacher and scholar.
“Frankly, I liked the place. I liked my colleagues, and I liked the breadth of courses I was able to offer. Had I left Ferrum for a larger institution, I wouldn’t have been asked to develop courses in China, India, or Southeast Asia,” Smith said. “I have been able to follow my interests here, and that played a big role in why I stayed.”
Before his retirement, Smith worked closely with his fellow history colleague, assistant professor Timothy Daniels to expand the history program. Daniels found Smith’s passing a big loss to the Ferrum community.
“He [Smith] possessed the skepticism of a historian and the optimism of a humanist. He was a masterful spinner of tales, who could captivate students and colleagues alike with his vivid recollection and analysis of past events,” Daniels said.
Outside of the classroom, Smith spent his time writing three books, numerous articles, and a chapter for the authoritative “Cambridge History of the World” published in 2015. Smith’s three books were “Premodern Trade in World History” published in 2008, “Ahmad al-Mansur: Islamic Visionary” published in 2005, and “European Imperialism in Africa” published in 1976. At the time of his death, Smith was working on a capstone book with Routledge Publishing Co., titled “Thematic Perspectives on Premodern Trade: A New Book of Routes and Realms.”
In addition to writing, Smith also appeared on television a few times during his life. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Smith appeared on the “Public Eye” program produced by Blue Ridge Public Television. Smith also appeared in two documentaries produced by PBS and “The Josh Bernstein Show” on the Discovery Channel; and he also served as a consultant for several shows on the History Channel. At Ferrum, Smith also appeared in numerous musicals including “Too Free for Me,” “Lil Abner,” “South Pacific,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “A Man for All Seasons.”
In honor of Smith’s life and his great contribution, Ferrum initiated the Richard L. Smith Academic Enrichment Scholarship in History. To make a donation to the scholarship, you can visit this site.