Harwood Knox Smith

SMITH, HARWOOD KNOX left us to be with the Lord on December 8, 2002. Born August 14, 1913 to Lelia Harwood and Knox Suydam Smith in Chicago, Illinois where his father was on the Chicago Board of Trade. As a young man he attended the Chicago Art Institute where he developed a strong interest in painting. In 1926 his family moved to the Rio Grande Valley near San Benito, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M in 1935 where he received a degree in architecture. In 1936 he married his high school sweetheart Kate Elizabeth Robertson and they moved to Dallas. Starting the practice of architecture as a one-man firm in 1939 he devoted his talents primarily to residential and commercial projects. Harwood combined his unique mixture of architectural talent, business acumen, and people skills into building Harwood K. Smith and Partners that became HKS Architects, one of the five largest architectural firms in the United States. The guidance Harwood provided to his partners and associates was a significant contribution to the field of architecture and the company he established. The firms architectural designs include office towers, corporate facilities, health care facilities, education facilities, hotels, airports, sports facilities and others. Projects have been completed in thirty-three states as well as abroad. HKS received many design awards including One Main Place, St. Michael and All Angels Church, Scottish Rite Hospital, the First International Building, and Reunion Arena to name a few. Other notable projects include Hockaday and Ursuline Schools, the School of Architecture at Texas A&M, Plaza of the Americas, Thanksgiving Square, Moody Coliseum at SMU, and many more. Harwood Smith served as the director of the Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) and was a member of the Texas Society of Architecture. He was elected into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects marking a career of forty-five years of contributions to the profession. He received a Dallas AIA Lifetime Achievement Award, and an AIA Presidential Citation from the American Institute of Architecture. Throughout his years of architectural practice, Harwood devoted time to community service. He was chairman of the Dallas Planning Committee, the Mayors Historical Preservation Committee, and the director of the United Way, the American Red Cross, and Goodwill Industries. He served on the Parents Committee of SMUs Sustentation Fund. He was a member of the Salesmanship Club and had strong ties and a love for the Scottish Rite Hospital. A devoted alumni, Harwood has been very involved in Texas A&M University. He was a Century Club member of the Association of Former Students, and was awarded the Distinguished Service award by the Dallas A&M Club, the Outstanding Alumnae Award from the College of Architecture from Texas A&M, and the Texas A&M Distinguished Alumnae Award. He served on the Presidents Advisory Committee and sponsored scholarships for Texas A&M students. He was president of the Dallas Country Club, the Chaparral Club, and the Dallas Club. He was a life long member of St. Michael and All Angels Church where he served on the vestry and as junior warden. He was an accomplished artist and a member of the Southwestern Watercolor Society from which he received several awards. His paintings have been exhibited nationwide. His love for the culture of Guatemala is expressed through many of his paintings that have been recognized by the Guatemalan Government and exhibited in museum showings in that country. Kate Robertson Smith, his loving wife of sixty-six years, his daughter, Kay Smith Strother, and husband Mack, son, Mark Robertson Smith, and wife, Jeanie, grandchildren, Kelly Strother Cavender, Shannon Strother Womble, Brad Smith, and Justin Smith, and great grandchildren, Kate and Brooks Cavender, and Madison and Sarah Womble survive Harwood. We will all miss his love, talent, intellect, and wit. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, December 11, 2002 at 4:00 P.M. at St. Michael and All Angels Church, 8011 Douglas Ave., The Rev. William J. A. Power, officiating. Private interment Hillcrest Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Scottish Rite Hospital, or the Charity of your choice. Dignity Memorial Sparkman Hillcrest 7405 W. Northwest Hwy. Dallas (214) 363-5401