William Smith (businessman)
Encyclopedia
William Smith was an American businessman. Born in Canterbury
, England
, he set up a successful nursery business in Geneva, New York
with his brothers in the mid 19th century. He also organised the Standard Optical Company in 1883 and was director of the First National Bank of Geneva.
and astrology
. He had an observatory built behind his mansion in Geneva. He later commisoned the Smith Observatory
, with a dome built by the Warner & Swasey Company
, and persuaded William Robert Brooks
, a prolific comet-finder, to direct it, attracting him with the state-of-the-art observatory and a house built for Brooks and his family. Smith also promoted free lectures given by Brooks.
, Langdon C. Stewardson learned of his interest and tried to persuade Smith to become a donor to the financially struggling college. Unable to convince Smith to provide direct assistance to Hobart, Stewardson redirected the negotiations toward founding a coordinate institution for women, a plan that appealed to the philanthropist. On December 13, 1906, he formalized his intentions; two years later William Smith School for Women - a coordinate, nonsectarian women's college - enrolled its first class of 18 students. That charter class grew to 20 members before its graduation in 1912.
As well as the observatory on his own property, Smith had the Smith Opera House built in 1894 in downtown Geneva. In 1906, Smith donated it to the college.
William Smith died in 1912 at the age of 93, shortly before the charter class of William Smith College was to graduate.
Smith left his mansion, the observatory and the house he had had built for Brooks to Hobart College. The house was subsequently bought back by Brooks' daughter, Anna.
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he set up a successful nursery business in Geneva, New York
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
with his brothers in the mid 19th century. He also organised the Standard Optical Company in 1883 and was director of the First National Bank of Geneva.
Astronomy
Smith, like many wealthy people of the period, had an interest in astronomyAstronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
. He had an observatory built behind his mansion in Geneva. He later commisoned the Smith Observatory
Smith Observatory
for Smith Observatory at Geneva, New York, see Smith Observatory and Dr. William R. Brooks HouseSmith Observatory is an observatory at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. Completed in 1882, the observatory was a memorial to John F. Smith, and served the campus from 1882 until the 1950s. In 1967 it...
, with a dome built by the Warner & Swasey Company
Warner & Swasey Company
The Warner & Swasey Company was an American manufacturer of machine tools, instruments, and special machinery. It operated as an independent business firm, based in Cleveland, from its founding in 1880 until its acquisition in 1980...
, and persuaded William Robert Brooks
William Robert Brooks
William Robert Brooks was a British-born American astronomer, mainly noted as being one of the most prolific discoverers of new comets of all time, second only to Jean-Louis Pons...
, a prolific comet-finder, to direct it, attracting him with the state-of-the-art observatory and a house built for Brooks and his family. Smith also promoted free lectures given by Brooks.
Academic institution
He then became interested in founding a women's college, a plan that he pursued to the point of breaking ground before realizing that the plan was beyond even his means. Meanwhile, president of Hobart CollegeHobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
, Langdon C. Stewardson learned of his interest and tried to persuade Smith to become a donor to the financially struggling college. Unable to convince Smith to provide direct assistance to Hobart, Stewardson redirected the negotiations toward founding a coordinate institution for women, a plan that appealed to the philanthropist. On December 13, 1906, he formalized his intentions; two years later William Smith School for Women - a coordinate, nonsectarian women's college - enrolled its first class of 18 students. That charter class grew to 20 members before its graduation in 1912.
As well as the observatory on his own property, Smith had the Smith Opera House built in 1894 in downtown Geneva. In 1906, Smith donated it to the college.
William Smith died in 1912 at the age of 93, shortly before the charter class of William Smith College was to graduate.
Smith left his mansion, the observatory and the house he had had built for Brooks to Hobart College. The house was subsequently bought back by Brooks' daughter, Anna.