Harry Deforest Smith Scholarship Fund

The Harry Deforest Smith Scholarship Fund was established in 1940 through a solicitation to Professor Smith’s friends and former students. Since the establishment of the Fund, there have been several interpretations of the amount awarded and the purpose of the Fund (including the method of selection of recipients). Dean Esty, Dean Wilson, and Professors Moore and Gould published a policy memorandum that was to supersede any previous interpretations. The memorandum stated that the Fund is to be awarded each year to the winner of an examination competition arranged by the Amherst Department of Greek in those secondary schools which teach Greek. The amount of the award will depend on the financial need of the winner as determined by the regular college scholarship procedures. In the case of no need, there will be a $100 honorarium awarded. The winner is required to take at least one semester of Greek in his/her freshman year at Amherst, and is known as the Harry deForest Smith Scholar so long as he pursues the study of Greek thereafter. This will be a freshman scholarship with a new person named each year. The scholarship for a given student will continue after freshman year from general College funds according to need and academic standing. If the amount in the Smith Fund is insufficient for the total need of a freshman scholar, his award will be supplemented from general College funds. An honorary scholarship — not based on need — will not be renewed after freshman year. Before the putative winner of the competition is announced at the end of March, the Greek Department will check with the Admissions Office on his admissibility and mutually agreed acceptance. The winner is the student with the highest score and is eligible for admission to the College. Harry deForest Smith came to Amherst College as an Associate Professor of Greek in 1901. He was appointed full professor in 1903 and was the Director of Converse Memorial library in 1935 until his retirement in 1939. He died in 1943.