Dr. James Calvin Smith Jr.

Dr. James Calvin Smith, Jr. (Jim), 97, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away at the Margaret Z. Dozier Hospice House in Tallahassee on Sunday, January 25, 2026. Jim was born December 27, 1928, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was raised in Birmingham with his two older sisters, who helped fill the void after his mother passed when he was only 16 years old.

Jim attended Auburn University and earned his B.S. degree in Mathematics and Education in 1950. He earned his master’s degree in Experimental Psychology in 1951 from The Florida State University ~ where he also met his wife of 71 years, Elizabeth Rose Smith. Jim joined the Air Force in the spring of 1953 and married Liz in August of 1954. After several years in Denver, Colorado, Jim and Liz returned to Tallahassee and Jim earned his PhD in Experimental Psychology from FSU in 1959. He served on the faculty at FSU for over 40 years, fulfilling a life-long passion for teaching. He had a profound impact on the lives of countless students and colleagues, both personally and professionally. He was the recipient of the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Award in 1992.

In 1975, Dr. Smith and family moved to Pennsylvania for a year where he served as a Visiting Professor of Psychology at Penn State University. While there, Jim took his first woodworking class, which sparked another life-long passion for building things. Over the years he honed his skills and became a master craftsman. From carving to making crafts to building furniture, his extensive woodshop remained his sanctuary well into his 90s. His ultimate work of art is the mountain home that he and Liz built from the ground up, which will be enjoyed by family and friends for generations to come.

Dr. Smith loved an audience. He was a great storyteller, an accomplished handball player, and a lover of dessert! He was a generous, compassionate and loving father and friend. He was a kind man who loved with a big heart and lived a long, extraordinary life. He will be greatly missed.

Dr. Smith was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Eva Howe Smith and James Calvin Smith; his two sisters, Mary Ruth Bailey and Charlotte Mae Kyser; his wife Elizabeth Rose Smith; and his two sons, Richard Clarke Smith and James Howe Smith. He is survived by his two daughters, Anne Smith Selvey (Tim) and Patricia Smith Willis (Ben); his daughter-in-law, Joy Hermanowski Smith; three grandchildren, James Daniel Smith (Camila), Matthew Charles Smith (Lucy), and Alexandra Rae Selvey; and his great-granddaughter, Charlotte Duke Smith.

A private family service will be held in early May at the Trinity Memorial Garden.

A Celebration of Life has been planned for James and Elizabeth Smith on Saturday, May 9th at 4:00 pm at Goodwood Museum and Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:

The James C. Smith Lecture Endowment: https://artsandsciences.fsu.edu/give

Reach of Haywood/Laura’s House (in honor of Laura Lang) https://[email protected]

Big Bend Hospice: https://bigbendhospice.org

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://stjude.org