Smith, Robert Bruce, 1937-

Dr. Robert Bruce Smith was born July 08, 1937 in Philadelphia, but considers California as home. His father’s career as a minister had taken them back to the east coast, and after his seminary training they returned to Los Angeles, California, followed by a five year stint in Oregon before returning to Vista, California. After graduating high school, Smith left home to attend Wheaton College in Illinois, a small Protestant school. He met his wife there and after completing his Bachelor’s in chemistry, they were off to Berkeley, California, where he completed his Ph.D in three years.

Along the way, Dr. Smith had worked for General Director Searle in Skokie, Illinois, and initially thought that this was his calling. His semester as a Teaching Assistant, however, convinced him that the academic life was what he wanted. In 1961, he learned of a job opening at the Southern Regional Division of Nevada Southern (now the University of Nevada Las Vegas), interviewed with Malcolm Graham, and flew to Las Vegas, Nevada to see the campus for himself.

Smith’s thesis director encouraged him to take the job at this new, very small college, so he and his wife drove to Las Vegas to find an apartment. They fell in love with the area and he started working at UNLV as assistant professor of chemistry. He did work in organic chemistry and served as chair of the Department of Physical Sciences. In 1968, the department was turned into a college, and Smith became the dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. He held this position for 12 years. In 1980, Dr. Smith accepted an offer from Weber State College in Ogden, Utah, and served there as the Academic Vice President and later as the Provost until his retirement in 1998.