Charles Smith (developer)

Charles E. Smith (born March 28, 1901 ^[1] - died December 30, 1995, Palm Beach, Florida) was a real estate developer and philanthropist in the Washington DC area.

Life

Smith immigrated from Russia in 1911 speaking only Yiddish.^[2]

Smith he graduated in accounting from City College of New York.^[3] He started as a developer in Brooklyn, but lost everything in the Great Depression. He moved to Rockville, MD where he developed apartments and office buildings. He founded the Charles E. Smith Co. and developed the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia. He retired in 1967 and turned to philathropy.^[3]

Philanthropy

He planned a complex in Rockville for Jewish agencies including the Hebrew Home for the Aged, the Jewish Social Service Agency and the Jewish Community Center.

He was a trustee of George Washington University (GWU) from 1967 to 1976 as well as Chairman of the Committee on University Development. The Charles E. Smith Athletic Center at George Washington University is named in his honor.^[4] He played a key role in developing GWU's branch campus in Loudoun County, Virginia.

His contributions to Jewish Philanthropy include

• Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School
• Charles E. Smith Life Communities

Smith held honorary doctorates from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Jewish Theological Seminary and George Washington University.^[3] In 1997 he was posthumously awarded an Honor Award from the National Building Museum alongside other community developers of Washington, D.C., including Morris Cafritz and Charles A. Horsky.^[5]

References

1. ^ Smith, David Bruce. Conversations with Papa Charlie: A Memory of Charles E. Smith. Capital Books, Inc.. p. xiv. ISBN 9781892123343. http://books.google.com/books?id=Zf5OygSOD3EC&dq=papa+charlie+smith+bruce&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result. Retrieved 2010-02-16. 
2. ^ http://www.solomonscandals.com/?tag=general-services-administration
3. ^ ^{a b c} Weil, Martin (January 1, 1996). "Washington Builder, Philanthropist Charles E. Smith Dies". Washington Post: p. A1. 
4. ^ http://www.gwu.edu/~media/pressrelease.cfm?ann_id=27526 Retrieved 2010-02-17.
5. ^ "Va. Trust Hopes to Buy Battlefield; Down Payment Applied To Chancellorsville Site". Washington Post. 11-13-1997. 

External links

• Smith, David Bruce. Conversations with Papa Charlie: A Memory of Charles E. Smith. Capital Books, Inc.. ISBN 9781892123343. http://books.google.com/books?id=Zf5OygSOD3EC&dq=papa+charlie+smith+bruce&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result. 
• Founding of Smith Life Communities
• Washingtonian Magazine article
• Smith Center at George Washington University
• History of Smith Life Communities

Persondata
Name	Smith,Charles E.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 28, 1901
Place of birth
Date of death	December 30, 1995
Place of death