William Andrew Smith was born on November 29, 1802, in
Fredericksburg, Virginia, to William & Mary (Porter) Smith. William Andrew's mother died of illness in 1804 and his father was killed by business associates in 1813. Smith was
pro-slavery and published a series of lectures titled "Lectures on the Philosophy and Practice of Slavery, as Exhibited in the Institution of Domestic Slavery in the United States: with the Duties of Masters to Slaves" in 1856. In 1866, Smith resigned from his position as president. He went on to become the pastor of Centenary Church in
St. Louis,
Missouri. In 1868, Smith was selected to be the fifth president of
Central College (now
Central Methodist University) in
Fayette, Missouri, Smith died on March 1, 1870, in
Richmond, Virginia. == References ==