John H. Smith Collection, 1939-1947 | Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs

John Howell Smith was born on February 27, 1922, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Charles Sidney Smith and Mary Jones. Smith attended Easton High School in Easton, Pennsylvania, and later received his B.A. from Lafayette College and M.A. in Brown University.

Smith volunteered as an ambulance driver with the American Field Service (AFS) in 1944 and served with the 485 Company in Italy. He was transferred to India in July 1945 and stayed in Calcutta for a year after AFS left India, where he volunteered for the Indian Red Cross and St. John’s War Organization.

Following the war, Smith became director for the Management Bureau of the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.  He also worked for the New York City Department of Real Estate.  His involvement with AFS continued after the war with his participation in the AFS Driver Tour in England (1992) and the AFS 50th Driver Reunion in Williamsburg, VA (1995.)

John H. Smith passed away in October 2009 in New York City at age 87.