Midd mourns beloved professor

Author: Kathryn Flagg

Professor Emeritus of Economics David K. Smith '42 passed away last Wednesday, marking the College's loss of a great mind and a good friend. His colleagues, former students and many friends and neighbors will remember the native Vermonter not only as a great scholar, but also as a compassionate teacher and an always-cheerful friend.

After graduating as an economics major from the College in the early '40s, "D.K." Smith served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He earned his master's degree in business administration, as well as a master's and doctorate in economics at Harvard University, and returned to the College's Economics Department in 1950. Smith taught for 37 years and led the department as its chair for 15, indelibly influencing the direction of the department he so faithfully served during his tenure.

"He's the one who built the Economics Department here as we know it today," said Professor of Economics Michael Claudon, whom Smith hired in 1970. "He humanized the discipline of economics."

For his fellow professors, he was an inspiration and a beloved mentor, particularly because of his dedication to teaching.

"I was immediately impressed by his humanity and his knowledge of the field, but especially his commitment to his students," said Claudon after reflecting on first meeting Smith. "That, I have to say, is what attracted me to Middlebury."

This commitment was consistently present in Smith's patience and compassion with students, traits that motivated his colleagues to engage their students in lively, meaningful ways.

"He was a like a father figure to me," wrote D.K. Smith Professor of Economics Phanindra Wunnava, who currently holds the endowed professorship named in Smith's honor, in an e-mail on Tuesday. "Over the years, I have had numerous discussions with him about how to be an effective teacher."

During the 1970s, Smith created a course in environmental economics that strengthened the College's commitment to its then-burgeoning role as an environmental leader. His courses were perennially among the most popular in his department, and during his time at the College he taught over 5,000 students. His students will remember him not only for his spirited humor and ever-present wing-tipped shoes, but also for his passion for his field and his unwavering interest in their success.

"D.K. had no ego," said Edward Schaefer III '84, who, along with his father and his sister, Laura Schaefer '79, helped establish the Professor David K. Smith Visiting Economic Lecture Series when his advisor retired. "His success was the success of his students, like a great coach sitting in the dugout watching his team celebrate a World Series Championship. D.K. Smith's joy was watching us become leaders," he said.

In addition to his engagement in the College community, Smith was deeply devoted to his local community, serving on the Vermont Council of Economic Advisors under four state governors, as a trustee of the village of Middlebury and as a consultant for Central Vermont Public Service. He strove to instill that same civic commitment in his students, incorporating civic engagement projects into many of his applied economics courses.

"D.K. actually did service learning from the very beginning of his career," said Claudon. "His students were always engaged in projects with businesses, with the local community. He used the real world as his teaching palette."

Smith played the bass fiddle, was an avid skier and delighted those who knew him with his irrepressible humor. He and his wife, Carol, invited faculty and students into their home regularly, hosting book clubs and offering frequent home-cooked dinners. Over dinner, Smith often regaled his anecdotes about the College and the town. Wunnava fondly recalled Christmas at the Smith house - "complete with snow, Christmas trees and, yes, Santa Claus coming down the chimney."

Smith is survived by his four children, their spouses and nine grandchildren. His wife Carol, a 1943 graduate of the College, died in 2004.

Contributions in his honor may be made to the Christian Science Church and the Catamount Trail Association.

As the College mourns Smith's loss, his colleagues and former students reflect on the impact he had on so many lives.

"We're going to miss him," said Claudon. "He can't be replaced."