Clay T. Smith 30 June 1917 - 10 November 2003 Professor Emeritus of Geology Dept of Earth and Environmental Science  New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801  BS, MS, PhD, California Institute of Technology          (photo courtesy of New Mexico Tech Archives)

Dr. Clay T. Smith passed away at mid-morning on November 10, 2003. An era of New Mexico geology closes with his demise. His legacy lives. See his memorial page with pictures and links to reminiscences.

Clay's wife, Sarah Austin (Sallie) Smith, passed away on December 8, 2007. Read her obituary and an article about her written in July 2006.

"I first arrived at the New Mexico School of Mines in February 1947 where I was taken to the second floor of Brown Hall to view the 'layer-cake' geology on the east side of the river. It has taken most of the intervening time to develop a true picture of the complicated geological features that can be seen between Escondida and U.S. Highway 380."

On that day, Dr. Smith joined an existing staff of two full professors ("everyone was a full professor in those days") in the Department of Geology and Mineralogy. He served as acting head of the Engineering Department until that fall. In the 50s, Dr. Smith became acting head of the Department of Geology. In 1983, he left to become Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving and then retired January 1, 1987. (Excerpted from the article A Brief History of the Department, written by Dr. Smith for the Jan 2004 issue of TECHtonics.)

Although Dr. Smith was retired, he still occasionally popped into his office on the New Mexico Tech campus. He was active in the Friends of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and led geological tours for the Annual Festival of the Cranes in Socorro.

NM Geological Society Keynote Presentation, Spring 1989
New Mexico Geology: A Teaching Laboratory Unsurpassed

Research Interests
ore deposits, mineral economics

Clay T. Smith Award
As a former director of the New Mexico State Science and Engineering Fair, a special award is given at the fair each year in Dr. Smith's name: a Plaque and $50 Savings Bond.

Clay T. and Sallie Smith Student Fund
This fund was established in recognition of Dr. Smith's long career in field geology. It will help earth science students with all aspects of field studies.