Dr. James L. Smith

James L. Smith, PhD passed away in Concord, California at the age of 58 following a battle with coronary artery disease. Dr. Smith was a noted academician and research scientist in the fields of snow research, watershed management and hydrology. He frequently collaborated with NASA's Ames Research Center and the NASA Cal Tech Jet Propulsion Laboratory in scientific research and writing numerous scholarly articles. He was a close friend and colleague of several other noted scientists, including Glenn Seaborg, former Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, and Max Peterson, who served from 1979-1987 as the 11th Chief of the United States Forest Service (USFS). James was born on June 6, 1921 in Cordele, Georgia to Charles Emory Smith and Mattie Camille Musselwhite Smith. Because the internet did not exist at the time of his passing, this memoriam was prepared several years later to provide the opportunity for his family, friends and colleagues to express their lasting memories and condolences.

James was a sophomore at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. He and numerous classmates enlisted in the United States Marine Corps the following day. His initial military training was conducted at Parris Island, South Carolina and was completed at Camp Pendleton in California. James served during World War II in the celebrated 4th Marine Division USMC as a Sharpshooter in the Pacific Theater from early 1942 until the Japanese surrender in 1945. The 4th Marine Division was recognized for its valor and determination, particularly in the battles of Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. The unit was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations with two Bronze Stars, a Navy Unit Commendation, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars and the World War II Victory Medal.

Following his honorable discharge in 1945, James earned two Bachelor of Science degrees and a Master of Science degree from UGA. He and Wanda Lee Bowen, also a Georgia native, were married in 1947, then relocated to East Lansing, Michigan where he earned his PhD from Michigan State University. Dr. Smith next served in academia as a professor at West Virginia University, Stephen F. Austin University and the University of Mississippi. In the 1950s he joined the USFS in Hot Springs, Arkansas followed by three years in the Secretary of Agriculture's office in Washington, D.C. In 1963 Dr. & Mrs. Smith and their four children moved to Pleasant Hill, California for what would be the final phase of his career. Dr. Smith was named Project Director for the USFS Pacific Southwest Research Project, a role he served from 1963 until his death in 1980. Although his office was in Berkeley, making it convenient for his research with the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) School of Engineering, the Project's flagship field operation was the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory (CSSL) in Soda Springs, California at Donner Pass. In the 1990s the USFS transferred CSSL oversight to Cal as a research and teaching facility under the University's Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research. Cal continues the work Dr. Smith nurtured and expanded, work that is especially vital during today's era of climate change.

At the time of his passing in 1980, Dr. Smith was survived by his wife, Wanda (deceased in 2021) and their children: Patricia Ann Lanier (Dennis) of Texas; James ("Jim") L. Smith, Jr., CPA (Linda) of Nevada; Charles Robert Smith (deceased in 2025) of California; and Dr. Wanda Joyce ("Joy") Lopez, Ed. D. (Ron) of California. More importantly than his professional accomplishments was his unwavering devotion, protection and support in every way to his family. His proudest legacy would have been his children's success in life. Jim, a Cal alumnus, has served nearly five decades as a successful healthcare financial executive and was named among Becker's Hospital Review's "190 Hospital & Health System CFOs to Know" in 2025. Joy followed her father's footsteps in academia, earning a doctorate degree and writing numerous books and articles in the field of Education Technology.

Dr. James L. Smith lived a full life and accomplished far more than most despite his early death at age 58. He is interred next to Wanda, his devoted wife of 33 years, at Oakmont Memorial Park Cemetery in Lafayette, California. Recommended donations in his memory can be made to the U.C. Berkeley Central Sierra Lab Fund at https://give.berkeley.edu/fund/FH5486000.