new church life: jan uary/february 2016
techniques to develop the skills of those who worked with him. He was a man
of principle and action and deep faith in the mercy of the Lord.
Col. B. Dean Smith
Dean Smith was an Academy man. He grew up in a house next to de
Charms Hall, spent his childhood roaming the Academy grounds, and attended
the Boys School where he became a local football legend, winning the Robert
W. Maxwell award for scholarship and play on the field before graduating in
1948. In later years, Dean served on the Executive Committee of the Sons
of the Academy in 1966, was elected to the Academy Corporation in 1975,
and served on its Board of Trustees from 1982 to 1991. His wife, Catherine
(Arrington), graduated from the Academy Girls School, and their four sons
also graduated from the Boys School.
Dean was born in Bryn Athyn on November 20, 1929, and lived there
until he went off to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he graduated in June 1953.
He elected to take his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air
Force, and embarked on a remarkable career that included flying multi-engine
aircraft with the Military Air Transport Service, a stint in Japan with the Air
Rescue Service, service in the Atlantic Missile Range, and participation in the
GEMINI space program.
He worked at Air Force headquarters on the development of computer
war-gaming programs, spent time at the George Washington University
to obtain a Master’s degree in Business Administration, and then served a
tactical airlift tour of duty in Viet Nam. After serving as Chief of Weapons
Development Plans for the Air Force and attending the Air Force War College,
he ended his military career with a tour at the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
at the Pentagon, all of this while assisting Cathy with the upbringing of their
four sons.
When Dean retired from the military in 1974, he made his home in the
Washington Society, where he turned his considerable energy and talents
to active support of the Academy, the General Church, and the Washington
Society. He served on the General Church Board from 1973 to 1978. After
he and Cathy built their home in Acton Park, they sent their young children
to the budding Washington Society School. For many years Dean served on
the Washington Society Board of Trustees, many as Vice Chairman. He also
served as Vice President of Cranston Research for three years before starting
his own business, Capital Safety Associates. Dean was active in local politics,
as well as in the Military Order of the World Wars where he served in many
leadership capacities, culminating in his election as its Commander in Chief
in 1995 and 1996.
Col. Smith passed away on January 29, 2015, and was laid to rest at
80