John Smith Visual Materials

John M. Smith (1832-1913) started a small carriage shop in Atlanta in 1869, called the John Smith Company. He started selling cars and became a GM dealer in 1913. He contributed $100 to the founding of Georgia Tech. The John M. Smith dormitory, which opened in 1948, was named for him. John M. Smith’s son, John Edward Smith (1876-1956), received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1895. He became president of his father’s company, and helped found the National Auto Dealers Association. In 1941 he donated a lot on 10th Street and Fowler, which became the site of the president’s house. John E. Smith’s son, Hal L. Smith (1904-2003), received a B.S. in Commerce from Georgia Tech in 1926. He was director of the C&S bank and American Southern Insurance Company. He was also president of the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association and chairman of the Atlanta branch of the Red Cross. In 1970 he received a Quality Dealer Award from TIME Magazine. Hal Smith was also a president of the Georgia Tech Foundation and established the John Smith Company fund at Georgia Tech. Hal Smith’s son, John E. Smith II, received a B.S. in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech in 1958.