Robert H. Smith (philanthropist)
| Robert H. Smith | |
|---|---|
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| Born | July 21, 1928 Winchester, Virginia |
| Died | December 29, 2009 (aged 81) Crystal City, Virginia |
| Residence | Crystal City, Virginia |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | Real estate developer, philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Clarice Chasen |
| Children | Michelle Smith David Bruce Smith Stephen Smith (deceased) |
| Parent(s) | Charles E. Smith |
Robert Hilton Smith (July 21, 1928 – December 29, 2009) was an American builder-developer and philanthropist.
His father founded Charles E. Smith Co. in 1946, which grew to become one of the largest commercial and residential landlords in the Washington, D.C., area, managing 24,000,000 square feet (2,200,000 m2) of office space and more than 30,000 residential units.
He and his brother-in-law, Robert P. Kogod, took charge of the company in 1967. He oversaw construction and development, and Kogod led leasing and management. He became chairman of Charles E. Smith Co. Commercial Realty, a division of Vornado Realty Trust, and chairman of Charles E. Smith Co. Residential, a division of Archstone-Smith Trust, both REITs listed on the New York Stock Exchange. They are best known for spearheading the development of the Crystal City complex in northern Virginia.
Smith gave generously to the University of Maryland, College Park, his alma mater. The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, was named in his honor in 1998 to recognize his gift of $15 million, the largest gift the school had ever received. He continuously supported its programs, subsequently making additional generous gifts as the school has expanded and risen in prestige. The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, completed in 2001, is named for his wife Clarice Smith.
Interestingly, the Kogod School of Business at the American University in Washington, DC, is named after Robert P. Kogod, brother-in-law of Robert H. Smith. Like his father, Smith also served on the board of trustees at The George Washington University in 1976 and again from 1977–1997. His son currently sits on the board of trustees at George Washington. The Smith and Kogod families are major donors to GW, too. The Charles E. Smith Athletic Center at GW is named in his father's honor. In addition, Smith's contributions to Johns Hopkins Hospital allowed for the construction of a new research and surgical building for the Wilmer Eye Institute. The new building was named the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Building of the Wilmer Eye Institute.
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