Walter L. Smith
American academic administrator
About Walter L. Smith
Lived 1935 – 2021 (aged 86).
Walter Lee Smith (May 13, 1935 – November 25, 2021) was an American academic administrator who was president of Florida A&M University (FAMU), serving from 1977 until 1985. The privately owned Walter L. Smith Library has a collection and hold programs related to African American history.
Life and career Smith received a bachelor's degree from Florida A&M University and a doctorate from Florida State University.
He was an Africa-America Institute Scholar to West Africa in 1971 and studied African culture and history. He served as FAMU's seventh non-interim president from 1977 until 1985.
FAMU's campus includes the Walter L. Smith Architecture Building Florida State has a scholarship program in his honor.
The Florida State Archives have a photo of him presenting and award in 1984. In the late 1980s a video about Walter L. Smith and his accomplishments at FAMU was released. Julian Bond introduces the film.
Smith gave a presentation on race and education in Florida in 2014.
He sued FAMU President Frederick Humphries accusing him of withholding a payment over professional rivalry.
In 2009, Smith received an award from the NEA. He died in Tampa on November 25, 2021, at the age of 86.
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Important facts
People in Walter L. Smith's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Walter L. Smith's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Walter L. Smith?
American academic administrator (1935–2021)
When was Walter L. Smith born?
Walter L. Smith was born on 13 May 1935.
When did Walter L. Smith die?
Walter L. Smith died on 25 November 2021.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Walter L. Smith (scholar)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Walter L. Smith. https://biography.guide/walter-l-smith/
MLA: "Walter L. Smith." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/walter-l-smith/.
Chicago: "Walter L. Smith." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/walter-l-smith/.
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