Walter Driscol Smith (November 16, 1875September 20, 1955) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player and military officer. He was a consensus All-American football player in 1900 while enrolled at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

until 1946, reaching the rank of Brigadier-General.

Early years and football

A native of Maryland, Smith attended the

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at the

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

position for the

Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football team, previously known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football. Army is a NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member o ...

team from 1898 to 1900 and was the captain of the 1899 and 1900 teams. He was a consensus All-American in 1900. He was also selected by

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...

as a third-team All-American in 1898.

Military career

Smith graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1901. After graduation, Smith remained assigned to the U.S. Military Academy. He served as an instructor of mathematics from 1905 to 1906 and assistant to the quartermaster from 1906 to 1909. He was stationed in Panama as the Constructing Quartermaster with the Panama Canal Commission from 1909 to 1913. He returned to the U.S. Military Academy from 1915 to 1917 as an instructor in tactics, assistant adjutant, post exchange officer, treasurer, and assistant quartermaster. In 1916, Smith was promoted to the rank of captain in the cavalry. In December 1917, he sailed for France and served as an observer with the British Army. In January 1918, he was assigned to the General Headquarters of the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...

Chaumont Chaumont can refer to: Places Belgium * Chaumont-Gistoux, a municipality in the province of Walloon Brabant France * Chaumont-Porcien, in the Ardennes ''département'' * Chaumont, Cher, in the Cher ''département'' * Chaumont-le-Bois, in the C� ...

, France, serving as the Chief of Organization and Equipment Division. He was promoted to the rank of colonel of the field artillery in June 1918. Smith participated in major engagements at Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Somme Offensive, Oise-Aisne, St. Mihiel, and Argonne-Mueuse. He was awarded the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus and was cited by the commanding general of the American Expeditionary Force "for exceptional meritorious and conspicuous services in Organization and Equipment, General Staff, France." After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Smith attended the Army War College, the General Service Schools, and the Naval War College. He served as the head of the Army's Transportation Branch, War Department General Staff, from 1924 to 1928. He was assigned to the Army War College as an instructor, director, and chief of the historical section from 1930 to 1935. From 1935 to 1939, Smith was the chief of staff of the Army's 82nd Division, nicknamed "the All-American division." He retired in 1939 and was recalled during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

with an assignment to the War Department from 1941 to 1946. He reached the rank of Brigadier-General. Smith died in 1955."Gen. Walter D. Smith, Canal Builder, Dies", ''Mason City Globe-Gazette'', Wednesday, September 21, 1955, Mason City, Iowa, United States Of America

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Walter 1875 births 1955 deaths 19th-century players of American football American football ends Army Black Knights football players All-American college football players United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army generals Sportspeople from Cumberland, Maryland Players of American football from Maryland Military personnel from Cumberland, Maryland