January 5, 2009
Harold “Skeet” Wood Smith, a longtime and dedicated electrical engineering professor at The University of Texas at Austin, died Dec. 22. He was 85.
Smith taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for 54 years before retiring in 2001 as professor emeritus.
He co-founded the Electrical Engineering Research Laboratory, which conducted geomagnetic research projects for the Office of Naval Research. He served as director of the laboratory from 1973 to 1984. Smith, who published more than 100 technical papers, was also a life fellow in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
According to his obituary, a memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Wilke-Clay-Fish funeral home, 2620 S. Congress Ave. Memorial donations can be made t The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, Attn: Donor Services, 386 Park Avenue South, 17th floor, New York, NY, 10016.
About the Cockrell School of Engineering:
The Cockrell School ranks among the top ten engineering programs in the United States and aspires to move into the top five. With the nation's fourth highest number of faculty members elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the Cockrell School's more than 7,000 students work with many of the world's finest engineering educators and researchers. This environment prepares graduates to become engineering leaders and innovators working for the betterment of society.
