Bolton Smith
Bolton Smith (July 25, 1861 – March 27, 1935) was an American lawyer who was an early pioneer in the U.S. Scouting movement.
Bolton Smith | |
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| Born | July 25, 1861 Indianapolis, Indiana, US |
| Died | March 27, 1935 (aged 73) Washington, D.C., US |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee) |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, Banker, Philanthropist |
| Known for | Boy Scouts of America |
| Spouse | Grace Carlile |
| Children | 2 |
Personal life
Born in 1861 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Francis Smith and Sarah Smith, received his early education in Germany and Switzerland. After the death of his mother, he was raised by his maternal grandmother, poet Sarah T. Bolton. [1] He graduated from American Central Law School in 1882, and also studied law at University of Virginia. [1]
In 1889, he married Grace Carlile. They had two children, Louise Bolton-Smith (1891–1914) and Carlile Bolton-Smith (1902–2001). [2]
Professional life
Professionally, Bolton Smith practiced law with the firm Caldwell & Smith. He was a trustee for George Peabody College, a teachers college in Nashville, Tennessee.
He was a mason; and a member of the Nashville Business Men's Club, the Tennessee Law and Order League, [3] and the Episcopal church.
Scouting
On February 22, 1916, with Scout Executive Edward Everett, Smith led the effort as Council President to organize the Chickasaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America. [4] On April 11, 1916, Smith purchased the land which would become Camp Kia Kima. [5]
Based on his work in Memphis, Smith was influential in the creation of the BSA's "National Committee on Inter-Racial Activities." This committee coordinated the creation of African American Scout troops. For this he was elected a national vice-president. [6] For his contributions to Scouting, he was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award. [a]
Camp Bolton Smith operated by the Piedmont Area Council was name after Smith, in honor of his work to promote expanding Scouting in the African American community. [7]
Notes
- "Silver Buffalo Award Winners 1929–1926". Boy Scouts of America. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011.
References
- James, Edward T.; James, Janet Wilson; Boyer, Paul S. (1971). Notable American Women, 1607-1950: A Biographical Dictionary. Vol. 1. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. pp. 191–92. ISBN 9780674627314.
- "Carlile Bolton-Smith Lawyer for Federal And Hill Offices". The Washington Post.
- Christian Advocate. Vol. 81. March 5, 1920. p. 319.
- Chickasaw Council (1959), Gordon Morris Biography, Dalstrom Papers, Special Collections, University of Memphis, archived from the original on March 5, 2017, retrieved April 22, 2016
- "On this date 100 years ago ..." Kia Kima Scout Reservation. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2016 – via Facebook.
- Dowdy, G. Wayne (March 18, 2014). On This Day in Memphis History. ISBN 9781625845917.
- "Segregated Scout Camps". ScoutingHistory.org. Scott Smith. February 16, 2018.
Further reading
- Goldberg, Barry (February 25, 2020). "Who Belongs in the Boy Scouts? Philanthropy's Support for Black Scouting". RE:source. Rockefeller Archive Center.
- Macleod, David I. (1983). Building Character in the American Boy: The Boy Scouts, YMCA, and Their Forerunners, 1870-1920. The University of Wisconsin Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-0299094041.
External links
- "Smith, Bolton". Who's Who in TN.
- "Black Boy Scout troops joined in Scouting's earliest days, though the first troop is difficult to pinpoint". Bryan on Scouting. February 23, 2021.
- United States Boy Scout: Race
