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{{short description|American chemist (1854–1928)}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2021}}{{Use American English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}[[Image:Smith Edgar Fahs bw.jpg|right|300px]]

'''Edgar Fahs Smith''' (May 23, 1854 – May 3, 1928) was an American scientist who is best known today for his interests in the history of chemistry. He served as provost of the [[University of Pennsylvania]] from 1911 to 1920, was deeply involved in the [[American Chemical Society]] and other organizations, and was awarded the [[Priestley Medal]] in 1926.

He accumulated a large collection of pictures, books, and papers related to the history of chemistry, which today forms the nucleus of the Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection at the University of Pennsylvania. The collection was designated as a [[National Historic Chemical Landmarks|National Historic Chemical Landmark]] on March 16, 2000.

==Life and work ==
[[File:Edgar Fahs Smith 1878.jpg|upright|left|thumb|Smith in 1878]]
Edgar Fahs Smith was born in [[York, Pennsylvania]] on May 23, 1854, to Gibson Smith and Elizabeth Fahs (Smith). He was raised in the [[Moravian Church|Moravian faith]].  His younger brother Allen John Smith was born in 1863.  He attended York County Academy, a college preparatory school, from 1867 to 1872.<ref name=kislak/>

Smith had planned to attend Yale University, but changed to Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg (now [[Gettysburg College]]) when he was given the opportunity to enter as a junior in 1872, due to his advanced knowledge and education.<ref name=kislak/>  He majored in chemistry and mineralogy with [[Samuel Philip Sadtler]]. Smith earned his college degree from Pennsylvania College in 1874.<ref name=kislak/><ref name=Landmark/>  He received his Ph.D. under [[Friedrich Wöhler]] at the [[University of Göttingen]] in 1876.<ref name=Klickstein/>  Smith then returned to the United States and married Margie Alice Gruel in 1876.<ref name=kislak/>

In 1876, Fahs was appointed Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania,<ref name=PennHistory/> where he taught for five years. He then took two short-term appointments in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Springfield, Ohio.  He returned to the University of Pennsylvania as Professor of Analytical Chemistry in 1888, and succeeded Sadtler as head of the chemistry department in 1892.<ref name=CHOC1-1b>{{cite journal|title=Edgar Fahs Smith and the History of Chemistry|journal=CHOC News|date=1982|volume=1|issue=1|pages=5–6|last=Sturchi|first=Jeffrey L.}}</ref> He was the doctoral advisor of the first woman to receive a doctorate in Philosophy of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, [[Fanny Rysan Mulford Hitchcock|Fanny R. M. Hitchcock]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Doctoral theses in chemistry|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.58330|access-date=2020-08-03|website=Internet Archive|language=en}}</ref> He also became director of the John Harrison Laboratory, which was created at the [[University of Pennsylvania]] in 1894.<ref name=PennHistory>{{cite web|title=Penn Chemistry History|url=https://www.chem.upenn.edu/content/penn-chemistry-history|website=University of Pennsylvania|access-date=11 March 2015}}</ref><ref name=NIE>{{Cite NIE |wstitle= Smith, Edgar Fahs |volume= XVIII| page = |short= 1}}</ref>  He was associated with the University as a professor of chemistry (1888-1911), as vice-provost (1899-1911) and then as provost (1911-1920).<ref name=Klickstein/> Smith was an active advocate for the education of women, accepting and mentoring women students, and working to open both graduate and undergraduate programs to women.<ref name="CHM">{{cite journal|last=Bohning|first=James J.|title=Women in chemistry at Penn 1894-1908, Edgar Fahs Smith as Mentor|journal=Chemical Heritage Magazine|date=Spring 2001|volume=19|issue=1|pages=10–11, 38–43}}</ref>  He was also the founder of the Pennsylvania Iota chapter of the [[Phi Kappa Psi]] fraternity at Penn.<ref name=Klickstein>{{cite journal|last1=Klickstein|first1=Herbert S.|title=Edgar Fahs Smith-His Contributions to the History of Chemistry|journal=Chymia|date=1959|volume=5|pages=11–30|doi=10.2307/27757173|jstor=27757173|url=http://hsns.ucpress.edu/content/ucpchymia/5/11.full.pdf}}</ref> He retired from the university in 1920.<ref name=Collier>{{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Smith, Edgar Fahs|volume=XVIII |short= 1}}</ref>

Edgar Fahs Smith used what he called "historical chemistry" in his work as a teacher, to remind chemistry students of the humanistic side of science and to counter what he saw as an overly commercial approach to scientific training. He chose to emphasize the moral aspects of their work, rather than focusing solely on the development of skilled technicians. He also wrote extensively on the history of chemistry.<ref name=Landmark/>

Smith's scientific research focused on the fields of electrochemistry, the determination of atomic weights, and research on rare earth elements. Smith was a pioneer in the field of electrochemistry, discovering the use of electric current for the separation of metals and minerals, and published a number of works on chemistry. His research with metals centered on [[tungsten]], which has a wide variety of industrial uses.<ref name=kislak/>

Smith was a co-founder of the American Chemical Society's History of Chemistry division.  He served three times as president of the [[American Chemical Society]] and was president of the [[American Philosophical Society]] (1902–1908) and the [[History of Science Society]] (1928).  In 1898 Smith was elected to the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]].<ref name=Browne>{{cite journal | author = Browne, C. A. | title = Dr. Edgar Fahs Smith | journal = Journal of Chemical Education | year = 1928 | volume = 5 | pages = 656–663 | doi = 10.1021/ed005p656 | issue = 6|bibcode = 1928JChEd...5..656B }}</ref><ref>{{Cite Americana|wstitle= Smith, Edgar Fahs |volume= XXV |page= |short=1 }}</ref>

He was awarded the [[Priestley Medal]] in 1926.<ref name=GMMinutes>{{cite journal|title=General Meeting Minutes|journal=Proceedings of the American Chemical Society|date=1926|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zX8VAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA9-PA43|access-date=11 March 2015}}</ref>

Smith died in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] on May 3, 1928.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Taggart, Walter T. | title = Edgar Fahs Smith | journal = Journal of Chemical Education | year = 1932 | volume = 9 | issue = 4 | pages = 613–619 | doi=10.1021/ed009p612| pmid = 17730488 |bibcode = 1932JChEd...9..612T }}</ref>
[[File:Edgar Fahs Smith - IMG 6621.JPG|thumb|[[Statue of Edgar Fahs Smith]] on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania]]
A [[statue of Edgar Fahs Smith]], built in 1925, now stands on the University of Pennsylvania campus, on the eponymous "Smith Walk" near 34th Street, next to the Vagelos Laboratories.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facilities.upenn.edu/maps/art/edgar-fahs-smith|title=Edgar Fahs Smith|last=University of Pennsylvania, Facilities & Real Estate Services|website=Penn Facilities & Real Estate Services|date=January 28, 2013 |access-date=September 9, 2019}}</ref> According to an article published in the university's online journal, ''Penn Today'', "The devilish figure under Smith's left shoe is meant to represent 'error', which Smith is stamping out through science."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/stories-penn-scientists-edgar-fahs-smith|title=Stories of Penn Scientists: Edgar Fahs Smith|last=Brockmeier|first=Erika K.|date=August 30, 2019|website=Penn Today|access-date=September 9, 2019}}</ref>

In York, Pennsylvania, there was a middle school named after him above the York Fairgrounds located at 701 Texas Avenue called "Edgar Fahs Middle School".  This school closed in 2010 but re-opened in 2017 as a STEAM Academy, incorporating science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics into project based learning.

==Memorial collection==
During his lifetime, Smith accumulated an international collection of approximately 3,000 printed books and 600 manuscripts, along with antique furniture, portraits of chemists and other memorabilia.  After his death, his widow, Marjie A. Smith, donated his collection, with an endowment, to the University of Pennsylvania.<ref name=kislak>{{cite web|title=Finding Aid for the Edgar Fahs Smith papers|url=http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/ead/upenn_rbml_MsColl112|website=Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts|publisher=University of Pennsylvania|access-date=11 March 2015}}</ref> The Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection in the History of Chemistry (Smith Memorial Collection) opened on March 1, 1931, and was initially curated by Smith's former secretary, [[Eva Armstrong]].<ref name=CHOC1-1>{{cite journal|title=The Center for History of Chemistry: A Chronology|journal=CHOC News|date=1982|volume=1|issue=1|pages=3–5}}</ref>  Since its creation, the collection has grown to 15,000 books, manuscripts and pamphlets dealing with the history of chemistry and related sciences and technologies. The collection was designated as a [[National Historic Chemical Landmarks|National Historic Chemical Landmark]] on March 16, 2000.<ref name=Landmark>{{cite news|title=Smith Memorial Collection at the University of Pennsylvania: National Historic Chemical Landmark|url=http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/fahssmithcollection.html|access-date=11 March 2015|work=American Chemical Society}}</ref><ref name=ACSLandmark>{{cite web|title=The Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection in the History of Chemistry|url=https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/fahssmithcollection/smith-memorial-collection-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania-historical-resource.pdf|publisher=American Chemical Society}}</ref> The ''Catalog of the Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection in the History of Chemistry'' was published by G. K. Hall in 1960.

== Published books ==
* ''Electro-Chemical Analysis'' (1890; revised 1894, 1902, 1918)
* ''Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds'' (2 vols., 3d ed. 1900)
* ''Experiments Arranged for Students in General Chemistry'' (with H. F. Keller, 4th ed. 1900)
* ''Theories of Chemistry'' (1913)
* ''Chemistry in America'' (1914)
* ''Atomic Weights'' (1915)
* ''The Life of [[Robert Hare (chemist)|Robert Hare]]'' (1917)
* ''[[James Woodhouse (chemist)|James Woodhouse]], a pioneer in chemistry, 1770-1809'' (1918) At [https://archive.org/details/jameswoodhousepi00smit archive.org].
* ''Chemistry in Old Philadelphia'' (1918)
* ''[[James Cutbush]]'' (1919)
* ''[[Joseph Priestley|Priestley]] in America'' (1920)
He translated [[Victor von Richter]]'s ''A Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry'' (3d ed., 1900).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikisource|works=or}}
{{Library resources box|by=yes|onlinebooksby=yes|viaf= 61915934}}
* {{Gutenberg author | id=9504| name=Edgar Fahs Smith}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Edgar Fahs Smith}}
* [http://dla.library.upenn.edu/dla/ead/detail.html?id=EAD_upenn_rbml_MsColl112 Edgar Fahs Smith Papers] Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

{{Presidents of the American Chemical Society}}
{{Presidents of the History of Science Society}}
{{University of Pennsylvania presidents}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Edgar Fahs}}
[[Category:1854 births]]
[[Category:1928 deaths]]
[[Category:American chemists]]
[[Category:Chief administrators of the University of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:University of Pennsylvania faculty]]
[[Category:University of Pennsylvania articles without infoboxes]]
[[Category:University of Göttingen alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:People from York, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Rare earth scientists]]
[[Category:Presidents of the American Philosophical Society]]