Richard Lee Smith

I am deeply saddened by this! I had about 4 courses with Dr. Smith. His knowledge was impeccable! He was very thorough in his teachings and I always wondered how he could remember it all! He kept me intrigued , fascinated and inspired. He will be truly missed! Rest in heavenly peace, Dr. Smith!

So sorry to hear of the loss of Dr. Smith. He was a wonderful teacher. I enjoyed his class very much. He was always so very nice and helpful. You all are in my thoughts and prayers.

I am so sorry for your loss. Richard was an amazing man, I loved our talks over the years. I found myself intrigued by history after each of them, he was a master of his craft - a storytelling artisan. I am so saddened by this news. My heart hurts.

I am so very sorry to hear of Dr. Smith's passing. He is among my favorite professors from Ferrum and while I only took a couple of his classes, I absolutely loved his lectures. He showed time and again that history is built upon stories and I can remember more than once when he would lean in with an even more gruesome detail or historical tidbit. It's been a few years since college, but I can still tell you there is a difference between being executed by a "sharp" impaling and a "dull"...

Professor Smith was one of the best history teachers in the world!! He made things interesting at Ferrum and was one of those professors that you never forget!!

So very sorry to see this. Dr. Smith was an amazing man who challenged me to think differently and encouraged me to see the world. I consider myself lucky to have been mentored by him. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.

Richard used to always stop on the sidewalks of Ferrum College, lean back, and launch into some fascinating story because he believed we younger faculty "need to know this." I always enjoyed our chats. He brought so much richness to all the communities to which he belonged. Much love to his grieving family and friends.

I first met Richard Smith as a freshman at Ferrum College when I was cast in South Pacific. In addition to performing on stage with him, I was tasked with painting on his tattoos before each performance, including a huge anchor on his stomach. That tends to be a huge icebreaker with someone! He was kind, entertaining, and full of stories. He was the best kind of professor in that he truly enjoyed teaching. Ferrum College is better place because of Richard Smith.

I am deeply sadden to see this. I was a student of his almost every semester at Ferrum from '03-'07 One of my biggest regrets in college was that I wasn't able to take all of his classes. His love of history and teaching for me was infectious. I will be praying for his family and friends for comfort.