# Charles Smith (developer)

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{{Short description|Real estate developer and philanthropist}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Charles E. Smith
| birth_name    = Schmidoff
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1901|3|28}}
| birth_place   = Lipnick, [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire)
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1995|12|30|1901|3|28}}
| death_place   = [Palm Beach, Florida](/source/Palm_Beach%2C_Florida), US
| education     = degree in [accounting](/source/accounting)
| alma_mater    = [City College of New York](/source/City_College_of_New_York)
| occupation    = Real estate developer, philanthropist
| years_active  = in business until 1967; philanthropist thereafter
| organization  = Charles E. Smith Companies
| known_for     = 
| boards        = [George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University) trustee 1967–1976
| spouse        = Leah Goldstein (m. 1927–death 1972)<br/>{{marriage|Miriam Uretz Smith||1988|end=divorced}}
| children      = Arlene Kogod, [Robert H. Smith](/source/Robert_Smith_(philanthropist))
| relatives     = [Robert Kogod](/source/Robert_Kogod) (son-in-law)<br>[David Bruce Smith](/source/David_Bruce_Smith) (grandson) 
| awards        = honorary doctorates from:
*[Hebrew University of Jerusalem](/source/Hebrew_University_of_Jerusalem)
*[Jewish Theological Seminary of America](/source/Jewish_Theological_Seminary_of_America)
*[George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University) Honorary Doctor of Public Service, 1979
| footnotes     = <ref name=Dies/><ref name=PapaCharlie/>
}}

'''Charles Emil Smith''' (né '''Schmidoff'''; March 28, 1901 – December 30, 1995)<ref name=Dies/><ref name=PapaCharlie>{{cite book | title=Conversations with Papa Charlie: A Memory of Charles E. Smith | first=David Bruce | last=Smith | year=2000 | author-link=David Smith (author) | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gnuHF-VxeKMC&q=march+28 | publisher=Capital Books | isbn=978-1-892123-34-3}}</ref> was a real estate developer and philanthropist in the [Washington metropolitan area](/source/Washington_metropolitan_area).

==Biography==
===Early life===
Smith (born Schmidoff),<ref name=Dies/> was born in Lipnick, [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire) on March 28, 1901<ref name=PapaCharlie /> to Sadie and Reuven Schmidoff, in an [Orthodox](/source/Orthodox_Judaism) [Russian Jewish](/source/Russian_Jewish) family.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f6clJqe_Ak0C&q=charles+e+smith | last=Shapiro | first=Edward S. | author-link=Edward S. Shapiro | title=A Time for Healing: American Jewry since World War II | publisher=[JHU Press](/source/JHU_Press) | year=1995 | isbn=9780801851247 | page=120}}</ref><ref name=history>{{Cite web | url=https://www.cesjds.org/about/history | title=About Charles E. Smith | publisher=Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School}}</ref> His family farmed potatoes and corn.<ref name=history/> At age 7, he contracted [diphtheria](/source/diphtheria).<ref name=history/> His father immigrated to the U.S. in 1908 to earn money to bring the rest of the family over.<ref name=history/> Smith immigrated to [Brownsville, Brooklyn](/source/Brownsville%2C_Brooklyn), in 1911 speaking only [Yiddish](/source/Yiddish_language) upon his arrival.<ref name=Dies/> He was placed in the fourth grade despite being the same age as sixth graders.<ref name=history/> He learned English quickly and graduated from [City College of New York](/source/City_College_of_New_York).<ref name=Dies/> His father became a real estate developer and brought Smith into the business.<ref name=Dies/>

===Career===
Smith started a [home construction](/source/home_construction) company in [Brooklyn](/source/Brooklyn%2C_New_York), but lost everything in the [Great Depression](/source/Great_Depression).<ref name=empire/> To support himself, Smith invested in parking spaces and vending machines.<ref name=Dies/>

In 1942, due to an insatiable demand for housing during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), Smith moved to [Rockville, Maryland](/source/Rockville%2C_Maryland).<ref name=empire/> With financing from a friend,<ref name=Dies/> Smith built 50 houses in [Prince George's County, Maryland](/source/Prince_George's_County%2C_Maryland), but lost money on the development after costs soared.<ref name=Dies/><ref name=empire/> After working for Waverly Taylor for 3 years, he founded the Charles E. Smith Company in 1946, with money from friends.<ref name=Dies/><ref name=empire/> He then changed focus to developing income-producing apartment properties in Washington, D.C. for long-term investments, taking advantage of low-cost government financing.<ref name=Dies/><ref name=empire/> In 1960, he built his first office building, 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.<ref name=empire/> In 1961, at the suggestion of his son, [Robert H. Smith](/source/Robert_H._Smith_(philanthropist)), the company began developing in 
[Crystal City, Virginia](/source/Crystal_City%2C_Virginia), which at the time was a "conglomeration of places that sold junk, used tires, a drive-in movie theater, a run-down ice skating rink, second-hand materials -- it was very unattractive."<ref name=empire/> Smith initially opposed the idea.<ref name=Dies/>

He retired in 1967 and turned to philanthropy, giving control of the company to his son, [Robert H. Smith](/source/Robert_H._Smith_(philanthropist)), and his son-in-law, [Robert P. Kogod](/source/Robert_P._Kogod).<ref name=empire>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1996/02/05/empire-of-the-son-and-son-in-law/84a748dc-2bce-40bf-9c53-5f2a584b75f3/ | title=EMPIRE OF THE SON AND SON-IN-LAW | first=Maryann | last=Haggerty | newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) | date=February 5, 1996}}</ref><ref name=Dies>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1996/01/01/washington-builder-philanthropist-charles-e-smith-dies/ce5bf753-2925-422d-80a6-14239152aed1/ | title=Washington Builder, Philanthropist Charles E. Smith Dies | first=Martin | last=Weil | newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=January 1, 1996}}</ref>

===Philanthropy===
Smith financed and organized a complex in Rockville for Jewish agencies including the [Hebrew Home for the Aged](/source/Hebrew_Home_for_the_Aged), the [Jewish Social Service Agency](/source/Jewish_Social_Service_Agency) and the [Jewish Community Center](/source/Jewish_Community_Center).<ref>{{cite book | title=13 Young Men: How Charles E. Smith Influenced a Community (Google eBook) | author-link=David Bruce Smith | first=David Bruce | last=Smith | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-M8cQn2ec1sC | isbn=978-0-615-26854-5 | lccn=2010467953 | location=Washington D.C. | publisher=[David Bruce Smith](/source/David_Bruce_Smith) | date=October 2, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.smithlifecommunities.org/about/our-story/ | title=100+ Years Caring for Our Community | publisher=Charles E. Smith Life Communities}}</ref> He was a [trustee](/source/trustee) of [George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University) (GWU) from 1967 to 1976 as well as Chairman of the Committee on University Development. The [Charles E. Smith Center](/source/Charles_E._Smith_Center) at George Washington University is named in his honor.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://washingtonian.com/2001/07/01/chasing-money/ | title=Chasing Money | first=LARRY | last=VAN DYNE | work=[Washingtonian](/source/Washingtonian_(magazine)) | date=July 1, 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release | url=https://gwsports.com/news/2008/2/19/SMITH_AND_KOGOD_FAMILIES_COMMIT_10_MILLION_FOR_TRANSFORMATIONAL_RENOVATION_OF_CHARLES_E_SMITH_CENTER | title=Smith and Kogod families commit $10 million for transformational renovation of Charles E. Smith Center | publisher=[George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University) | date=February 14, 2008}}</ref>

He played a key role in developing GW's branch campus in [Loudoun County, Virginia](/source/Loudoun_County%2C_Virginia).

His contributions to Jewish philanthropy include:
* [Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School](/source/Charles_E._Smith_Jewish_Day_School)<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonjewishweek.com/charles-e-smith-celebrating-50-years-of-educating-children/ | title=Charles E. Smith celebrating 50 years of educating children | first=David | last=Holzel | work=[Washington Jewish Week](/source/Washington_Jewish_Week) | date=November 10, 2015}}</ref>
* Charles E. Smith Life Communities
* [Hartman High School](/source/Hartman_High_School)- Charles E. Smith High School for Boys
* Charles E. Smith Family and Prof. Joel Elkes Laboratory for Collaborative Research in Psychobiology
* Charles E. Smith chair in Judaic studies at GWU

Smith held honorary doctorates from [Hebrew University of Jerusalem](/source/Hebrew_University_of_Jerusalem), the [Jewish Theological Seminary](/source/Jewish_Theological_Seminary_of_America) and [George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University).<ref name=Dies/> In 1997, he was posthumously awarded an [Honor Award](/source/Honor_Award) from the [National Building Museum](/source/National_Building_Museum) alongside other community developers of Washington, D.C., including [Morris Cafritz](/source/Morris_Cafritz) and [Charles Antone Horsky](/source/Charles_Antone_Horsky).<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/realestate/1997/09/13/va-trust-hopes-to-buy-battlefield/9d23ff30-da14-4a78-8335-15ea8bb76a34/ | title=Va. Trust Hopes to Buy Battlefield | newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) | date=September 13, 1997}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Smith married twice. His first wife was Leah Goldstein of Yonkers whom he married on February 8, 1927;<ref name=history/> they had two children, [Robert H. Smith](/source/Robert_H._Smith_(philanthropist)) and Arlene Smith Kogod (married to [Robert P. Kogod](/source/Robert_P._Kogod)).<ref name=history/> Leah died in 1972. His second wife was Miriam Schuman Uretz Smith; they divorced in 1988.<ref name=Dies/><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=miriam-h-smith&pid=173070155 | title=Miriam H. Smith "Micki" | newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) | via=[Legacy.com](/source/Legacy.com) | date=November 6, 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QCp2l6f3V6EC | title=Building My Life | first1=Charles E. |last1=Smith | first2=David Bruce | last2=Smith | authorlink2=David Bruce Smith | first3=Peter | last3=Muller | year=1985 | publisher=C.E. Smith |location=Washington, D. C.? | isbn=9780985047719 | lccn=86463574}}
* {{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mtc4HQAACAAJ | title=Building the Community: Memorable Events in my Life | first1=Charles E. | last1=Smith | first2=David Bruce | last2=Smith | authorlink2=David Bruce Smith | lccn=97181010 | location=Washington D.C. | publisher=C.E. Smith | year=1998| isbn=978-0-9850477-3-3 }}
* {{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qXhPGwAACAAJ | title=Letters to my Children | first1=Charles E. |last1=Smith | authorlink2=David Bruce Smith | last2=Smith | first2=David Bruce | lccn=93204323 | date=1993}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Charles}}
Category:1901 births
Category:1995 deaths
Category:20th-century American businesspeople
Category:20th-century American philanthropists
Category:City College of New York alumni
Category:Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States
Category:George Washington University trustees
Charles

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Charles Smith (developer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Smith_(developer)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Smith_(developer)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.