Raphael F. Smith, III, M.D. age 86 of Nashville passed away on July 29, 2019. He was born in Wilson, North Carolina, on January 22, 1933. At age 14, Raphael, he became a licensed radio operator and began a lifelong fascination with electronics. He received his Undergraduate Degree in 1955 at Vanderbilt, where he excelled as a student and an athlete. During this time, he and another student built, recruited the staff and operated the campus radio station which is now WRVU. At the time of his graduation the station was sold to Vanderbilt University.
He earned his M.D. Degree in 1960 from Harvard Medical School. After completing his medical training at Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1962, he joined the U.S. Navy where he was commissioned as a Naval Officer, where he served until 1969 when he was promoted to the rank of Commander. During his tenure he served as a consultant in cardiology at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Pensacola, rising to the rank of Chief, Medical Sciences Division at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute. Dr. Smith transitioned to the Naval Reserve shortly before accepting a position on the Vanderbilt faculty in 1969 as an assistant professor of Medicine. His initial responsibilities included the directing the Coronary Care Unit and the Heart Station at Vanderbilt. He was promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine in 1974, and in 1975, he was promoted twice, once in the Naval Reserves to rank of Captain and he was promoted was named Chief, Cardiology Section at the Nashville VA Medical Center, a post that he held for twenty-three years. In 1982, he was promoted to Professor of Medicine.
During his career at Vanderbilt, Dr. Smith made numerous contributions in the clinical research arena and the Clinical Training Program in Adult Cardiovascular Medicine. He led an investigative team that performed the first Quantitative Electrocardiography during extended space flight of the SKYLAB Missions. He collaborated on multiple studies designed to define the safety and efficacy of Antiarrhythmic agents in humans. He had focused his attention on the prevention of Congestive Heart Failure and he led a very active Clinical Research Group. In 1991, Dr. Smith was recalled to active duty during the Persian Gulf War and served in a field hospital in the Middle East as Chief of the Medical Service. After the Gulf War, he served as Commanding Officer, Fleet Hospital 20, which was a 500 bed reserve hospital with headquarters in Philadelphia. He officially retired after his stent in Philadelphia.
Dr. Smith influenced multiple generations of trainees in Cardiovascular Medicine. His dedication and talent as a teacher has been recognized and appreciated throughout his career. When Dr. Smith first arrived at Vanderbilt, cardiology was its infancy on campus. His contributions and efforts at Vanderbilt and the Nashville VAMC during the last thirty- five years have significantly influenced the growth and impact of the Cardiovascular Programs. His expertise and accomplishments are widely recognized and have certainly contributed to his selection for multiple leadership positions outside of the Vanderbilt Campus. He was the President of the National VA Cardiovascular Association from 1985-1987 and the received a NASA Group Achievement Award from the SKYLAB Medical Team in 1974. He was the recipient of the AMA Physicians Recognition Award and received the Helen Farris Award for Distinguished Service to the American Heart Associate in 1987. Dr. Raphael Smith was a pillar of consistency and excellence for the Cardiology program at Vanderbilt for thirty-five years.
Dr. Smith is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dorothy Boren Smith; his children, Raphael, IV Stephen, Peter and Anne; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 o’clock on Saturday, August 3, 2019 from Lindsley Hall, with visitation one hour prior at Mount Olivet Funeral Home. Interment will follow at the Historic Mount Olivet Cemetery. In lieu of flowers of flowers, family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association www.heart.org
