Samuel L. Smith

Samuel Leonard Smith (1875–1956) was an American educator, academic administrator, lawyer, author, and architect. He was involved in the supervision and school design for Rosenwald Schools, particularly in the rural Southern states. He was also a provost emeritus for George Peabody College for Teachers.

Biography Samuel Leonard Smith was born on October 10, 1875, in Humphreys County, Tennessee. He was educated in a one-room schoolhouse, and attended Pinewood Academy; the Waverly Training School; McEwen and Dickson Normal School.

Smith was a student of health education professor Fletcher B. Dresslar (1858–1930) who conducted an important initial survey for Rosenwald Schools. In 1902, Smith passed the Tennessee state bar examination. then General Field Agent. From 1920 until 1938, he served as the director of the Southern Offices for the Julius Rosenwald Fund.

List of works Numerous works associated with him survive and are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Works credited to him include (with variants in attribution as indicated in National Register listing): Allen-White School, 100 Allen Extension St. Whiteville, TN (Smith, Samuel L.) Bigelow Rosenwald School, Jct. of AR 60 and Bethel AME Rd. Toad Suck, AR (Smith, Samuel L.) DeLeon Springs Colored School, 330 E. Retta St. DeLeon Springs, FL (Smith, Samuel L.) Dunbar Public School, 113 Steekee St. Loudon, TN (Smith, Samuel L.) Durham's Chapel School, 5055 Old TN 31E Bethpage, TN (Smith, Samuel L.) Eleanor Roosevelt School, Parham St. at Leverette Hill Rd. Warm Springs, GA (Smith, Samuel L.) Free Hills Rosenwald School, Free Hills Rd., E of TN 52 Free Hill, TN (Smith, Samuel L.) Hope Rosenwald School, 1971 Hope Station Rd. Pomaria, SC (Smith, Samuel L.) Hopewell Rosenwald School, adjacent to 253 Hopewell Church Road (SC Sec RD 33–12) Clarks Hill, SC (Smith, Samuel L.) Lafayette County Training School, 1046 Berry St. Stamps, AR (Smith, Samuel L.) Lincoln School, Old TN 28 near Rockford Rd. Pikeville, TN (Smith, Samuel) Merritt School, Old Troy Rd., 0.5 mi. S of US 82 Midway, AL (Smith, Samuel) Oak Grove School, 0.25 mi. W of AL 69, 1 mi. N of jct. of AL 69 and US-80 Prairieville, AL (Smith, Samuel) Orange City Colored School, 200 E. Blue Springs Ave. Orange City, FL (Smith, Samuel L.) Ridge Hill High School, 206 Ridge Hill Dr Ridge Spring, SC (Smith, Samuel L.) Selma Rosenwald School, Selma—Collins Rd., approx. 0.25 mi. S of US 278 Selma, AR (Smith, Samuel) Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and Rosenwald School (only the school portion) in Notasulga, Alabama (Smith, Samuel L.) Tankersley Rosenwald School, 10 mi. S. on Montgomery on US 31 to Pettus Rd. to School Spur on W. side Hope Hull, AL (Smith, Samuel L.) Wells School, 4140 Collierville—Arlington Rd. Eads, TN (Smith, Samuel)

Publications