David MacLeish Smith, 9 June 1900 - 3 August 1986

Abstract

David MacLeish Smith was born on 9 June 1900 in Elgin, Scotland. His parents were David Thompson Smith and Mary Millar Pennycook. He had one sister, Helen, who is still alive. His father’s ancestors were town dwellers from Dundee and Paisley and his mother’s family were farmers in East Perthshire. He attended the local East End elementary school of 500 pupils of which his father was headmaster until his death in 1911. David was considered a very bright boy and had reached the top class when his father died. His sister remembers that on holidays in Lossiemouth he usually played by him self, flying his kites from the sand dunes and constructing dams across the rocks. After his father died the family moved to Blairgowrie, Perthshire, and lived in a rather isolated house named ‘Tullyneddie Cottage’ with two aunts. He and his sister played in an adjoining farm, helping with milking the cows and other farm work. His sister remembers that he was very interested in the farming machinery. He went to Blairgowrie High School from 1912 to 1917 and was a very good pupil, outstanding in mathematics and science, as well as very good at English. His mathematics master took a great interest in him and they later became very good friends. When he was 14 years old he read a book entitled How it works by Archibald Williams. At the end of the book was a competition for boys of his age based on the contents. He won the competition and his family were delighted when the result appeared in the London Times . From this time onwards he never wavered in his determination to become an engineer. He was a quiet boy and did not make many intimate friends. From a very early age he had a remarkable memory for anything that interested him.