Memorial Service Live Stream:
Events
The Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, January 11, 2025 starting 11:00AM EST at the Howard University School of Law Dunbarton Chapel, located at 2900 Van Ness St, NW Washington, D.C. 20008. For those unable to attend the service in-person, you can participate remotely by viewing the live stream of the service (please scroll up to see the video).
Order of Service
Obituary
Daniel Morris Smith, Junior, was born at Taborian Hospital in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, on April 11, 1949, into a family of educators and legacy builders. His father, Daniel M. Smith, Sr., and mother, Arzola D. Smith, sought and achieved greatness in Cleveland, Mississippi. While his parents’ achievements included opening paths for their students and the community, Dan’s pursuits furthered their gains beyond his hometown.
Dan made his mark early in life by creating lifelong friendships, starting at Miss Sally’s preschool. One of his early friends remembered him in an operetta performance where they were dressed as twins and sang, “It’s terrible to be twins and have the same eyes and chins.” As a valedictorian in the 1966 high school class at East Side High School, he excelled in mathematics and science. He was a veracious learner with multiple scholarly pursuits. Beyond academics, his early interests included playing the saxophone, and studying Greek mythology, chess, and billiards. Although he wanted to play his saxophone with a group of friends, it was not allowed because their schedule included gigs that would have interfered with attending Sunday Church services. Secretly, his newspaper route included a familiar stop to learn and play billiards.
Dan left his hometown to attend college during the 1960s to 1970s, a decade of dissension and change. He graduated from the pinnacle of Black greatness, Howard University, with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Physics. As a deeply connected and impactful young man, he made his mark on campus as the editor-in-chief of the 1970 Howard Bison yearbook. He joined the Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Dan was a strong advocate for causes and participated in the student occupation of the Administration Building in March 1968, where they demanded changes in the student discipline policy and course offerings in African American history. Most of their demands were met with long-term positive effects on the Howard University campus.
Dan’s first job was as an engineer for International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). His IBM tenure was brief as he took a leave of absence to attend Northeastern University, where he completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics. His dissertation was “A Bloch-Nordsieck Technique for Soft Gluon Corrections to QCD Processes.” He was a member of the staff at Northeastern University until 1995. As a strong advocate for historically black institutions, Dan accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Physics at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He became a tenured professor of Physics in 2008. Affectionately known as “Dr. Dan,” he dedicated much of his life to education as a physics professor. He made significant contributions to The Algebra Project on increasing math literacy nationwide. His intellectual curiosity and his love for sharing knowledge inspired many students and colleagues throughout his distinguished career.
Beyond the classroom, Dan was a true Renaissance man. He loved the arts. His schedule always included attending the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. He even participated twice as an extra in full costume. Dan enjoyed Broadway plays in New York with his cousin during the Thanksgiving holidays. Art galleries in downtown Charleston were a part of his frequent walks, where he collected original artists’ works along with numerous South Carolina’s famous sweet grass baskets. According to one of his friends, “Even though he was not a historian by training, his membership and activities with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) were major contributions nationally and in South Carolina. His photo essay of black landmarks and buildings in South Carolina are recognized beyond the state.” Dan’s “African-Americans and Charleston: Histories Intertwined” book is currently available.
Dan loved to dance, especially salsa dancing. One of his pursuits after retirement was with a local Charleston salsa dancing group. His love of salsa dance brought him great joy and allowed him to connect with others in an expressive and lively way. Another of his favorite pastimes was sailing. Many family members and friends remember he always carried a camera and a book. Dan was an avid photographer, capturing the world’s beauty through his lens. Beyond his photo history book, he captured and shared photographs of family, friends, and fascinating sites.
Dan’s Christian beliefs were expressed in his philanthropic actions. As a philanthropist at heart, Dan believed in giving back to his community through random acts of kindness, which left an indelible mark on those who had the privilege of knowing him. Numerous people mention his “random acts of kindness,” such as helping a neighbor with computer issues and gifts given when only mentioned by the recipient in conversation. He possessed a Christian spirit that benefitted others throughout his life.
The celebration of Dan’s extraordinary life is a touchstone in his family. He is survived by his siblings, Etta Waugh (Charles) and Mildred Washington (Avery), as well as his beloved nieces and nephew, Natasha Harris (Brandon), Avery Washington II (Albany), and Elena Washington (Iyinoluwa). His legacy continues with his grandniece and grandnephew, Kaylin Nichols and Bryce Harris. He is also fondly remembered by many other family members, friends, classmates, and colleagues whose lives he touched with his wisdom, generosity, and warmth.