Robert P. Smith (pastor)

Robert P. Smith was born on April 7, 1963, in Grove Point, Ohio. Smith spent his childhood on a farm with his large family, including his parents (Stephen and Abigail) from England, three brothers, and two sisters. Smith received his degrees in Liberal Arts and Science in 1886 from Ohio Normal University. Later, they would have two children, Ruth Smith Linfield, and Lois Smith. == Career and Retirement ==

Smith first left Ohio to teach Greek at Intermountain Union in Billings, Montana. When the college was reported to have been facing severe debt in 1903, Smith became chancellor of Montana Wesleyan University, and then its president in 1907. However, from 1908 to 1915, he served as president of Kansas Wesleyan before moving back to Montana to serve as a pastor across the state for over 30 years. Even after a faculty dispute that drove Smith to resign from his role at Kansas Wesleyan, his impact on the university and the quality of his sermons were largely appreciated at the time by his peers. Around August 31-September 1, 1945, Smith died, and in this same year, the second of three biographies was written about him. Smith's written work mostly includes religious tracts and books. Two of these publications include "The Spiritual Value of Work" and "Religious Optimism." Collections of Robert P. Smith's works and biographical documents can be found at Montana State University's Archives and Special Collections. == References ==