Joseph Henry Smith

Lieutenant General Joseph Henry Smith (9 January 1945 – 19 December 2023) was the Ambassador of Ghana to the United States from 2014 to 2017. Smith was the Minister for Defence of Ghana during President John Atta Mills' term of office from 2009 to 2013. He was also Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Army from 1996 to 2001.

Early life and education Joseph Smith was born on 9 January 1945 in Takoradi, studied at the Achimota School in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana between 1959 and 1963 where he completed the West African School Certificate. He enrolled as an officer cadet at the Ghana Military Academy. In 1996, Smith served as the Company Commander of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in Egypt. He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ghana Army in 1996 by President Jerry Rawlings. He held this position till 2001.

On , Smith was named, on was accredited the Ghanaian ambassador to the United States. He was a Muslim. His burial service took place on 23 December 2023 at the Al-Azziz Mosque in Burma Camp in Accra.

Honours Smith was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Volta, one of Ghana's highest awards in 2001. Legion of Merit (USA) the fifth highest Award in the US Army. National Award – Ghana/UN Peace Keeping. The State of Texas, USA, honored with the title Admiral in the Texas Navy. International Award – UN Peace Keeping Operations in the Sinai, Egypt.