George P. Smith II
Encyclopedia
George P. Smith, II, is an internationally recognized scholar and lecturer and a Professor of Law at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
The Catholic University of America and Columbus School of Law
. The 1996 graduating class of the Columbus Law School selected Professor Smith as the Class Marshall – This, in recognition of the high regard he was held by them. Since 1977, he has taught Property Law, Land Use, Environmental Law, Bioethics, and Health Law at Catholic University. His pathbreaking scholarship in 1968 on artificial insemination and the law established him as an early insightful frontiersman in the then-emerging field of Bioethics or Law, Science and Medicine.
, Indiana
, of pioneer
stock whose family settled in the state in 1789, Smith’s father and uncle were prominent practicing attorneys in Wabash.
Smith received his elementary education at the St. Bernard School in Wabash and graduated from Wabash High School in 1957, where he was a member of the National Honor Society. He received his B.S. degree in Business – Economics and Public Policy from Indiana University
-Bloomington in 1961 and was awarded a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, as well, from the University in 1964, and was a member of the Indiana Law Review. He went on to receive a Certificate from The Hague Academie de Droit International for his studies at the Peace Palace in The Netherlands
during the summer of 1965. In 1975, Smith was awarded and LL.M. degree in law from Columbia University where held a University Fellowship during his residency.
Indiana University conferred its Silver Medallion upon Smith in 1985 as a Distinguished Service Alumnus, and in 1998 an LL. D. degree, honoris causa, was conferred upon him. In 1998, a Distinguished Professorship-Charity was established in Smith’s honor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law
in Bloomington. The School of Law, again, in 2007, honored Smith by inducting him into the Indiana Academy of Law Fellows –this, in recognition of his professional contributions to the legal profession. In 2008, a Fellowship in the LL.M. program was created in his honor by the Law School.
in Sydney, Australia. Under the title of “1984: A Brave or a Confused New World?”, several Fulbright Lectures were delivered throughout the Australian Continent by Smith during his Fulbright residency.
Since that initial visit to Australia
, Smith has returned regularly to hold academic and research appointments at that law faculties at The Australian National University, Macquarie
, Monash, Queensland
, Sydney
and New South Wales
as well as at Auckland
and Dunedin, New Zealand.
Judge Richard A. Posner, a member of the United States Court of Appeals
for The Seventh Circuit and Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School
, acknowledged Smith as “one of the world’s leading experts on the legal and ethical issues raised by modern medicine…” and observed that “he writes with insight and authority, and offers a perspective that will influence policy debates.” Dr. Edmund D. Pellegrino, John Carroll Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Medical Ethics, Georgetown University and former Chairman of the President’s Council on Bioethics, recognized Smith as “an internationally acclaimed scholar and pioneer in cultivating the interdisciplinary study of questions in which law, medical ethics and bioethics intersect.” In inaugurating the George P. Smith, II, Distinguished Professorship-Chair of Law at Indiana University in January, 2000, Justice Michael D. Kirby of the High Court of Australia, paid tribute to Smith’s “awesome” level of transnational scholarship in Bioethics and his “indefatigable spirit and sense of total commitment as a questioning, inquisitive mind” and proceeded to herald Smith as a “prescient prophet of the New Biology.” Later in 2009, Justice Kirby hailed Smith’s “commitment to universalism” and “his voracious appetite for wisdom in the exploration of legal and bioethical question… beyond the United States.”
Early in his career, in 1985, the Institute for Advanced Study at Indiana University in Bloomington presented Smith with a Citation of Honor for his pathbreaking interdisciplinary research and writing on medial and biological issues as they relate to the norms of law and ethics.
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of his career in legal education in 1989, U.S. Congressman John T. Myers
paid tribute to Smith’s years of distinguished service to the legal profession. As well, the editors of the Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy published his bibliography of scholarship in Law, Science and Medicine.
In 1988, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City
, Smith was recognized for his professional contributions to Law and Medical Science by induction to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. Similar recognition was given to Smith 1974 by his election to membership in The Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. Smith is also a life member of the prestigious American Law Institute.
, in Georgetown and is unmarried. An avid reader, bibliophile and socially prominent supporter of the Arts, Smith has acknowledged his great debt of gratitude to friends and teachers who have had a positive influence in his life by establishing book collections to honor them. To that end, collections honoring Professor Sir David and Lady Williams and Professor Sir Derek Bowett at the University of Cambridge
Squire Law Library have been formed. As well, a collection honoring the memories of Dr. W. Taylor Reveley, II, President Emeritus of Hampden-Sydney College
, Virginia, and his wife Marie Eason Reveley, has been established at the Bortz Library at the College. The Wabash Carnegie Public Library in Indiana houses collections honoring three teachers form Wabash High School who had a transformative influence of Smith: Martha Biggerstaff Jones, Ruth A. Jones, and Mildred E. Hipskind. Additionally, Smith played a prominent role in establishing an endowed professorship at the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University – Bloomington, honoring the late Professor Harry Pratter.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The Catholic University of America and Columbus School of Law
Columbus School of Law
The Columbus School of Law, also known as CUA Law, is the law school of The Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C..Over 900 Juris Doctor students attend CUA Law. Incoming classes are typically composed of two to three hundred students, including day and night programs. Around 3,500...
. The 1996 graduating class of the Columbus Law School selected Professor Smith as the Class Marshall – This, in recognition of the high regard he was held by them. Since 1977, he has taught Property Law, Land Use, Environmental Law, Bioethics, and Health Law at Catholic University. His pathbreaking scholarship in 1968 on artificial insemination and the law established him as an early insightful frontiersman in the then-emerging field of Bioethics or Law, Science and Medicine.
Education and Career
Born on September 1, 1939, in WabashWabash
Usually refers to or is related to the Wabash River in the Midwestern United States. Wabash may also refer to:Geographical features:* Wabash, Indiana* Wabash County, Illinois* Wabash County, Indiana* Wabash Valley Seismic ZoneOther:...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, of pioneer
American pioneer
American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
stock whose family settled in the state in 1789, Smith’s father and uncle were prominent practicing attorneys in Wabash.
Smith received his elementary education at the St. Bernard School in Wabash and graduated from Wabash High School in 1957, where he was a member of the National Honor Society. He received his B.S. degree in Business – Economics and Public Policy from Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
-Bloomington in 1961 and was awarded a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, as well, from the University in 1964, and was a member of the Indiana Law Review. He went on to receive a Certificate from The Hague Academie de Droit International for his studies at the Peace Palace in The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
during the summer of 1965. In 1975, Smith was awarded and LL.M. degree in law from Columbia University where held a University Fellowship during his residency.
Indiana University conferred its Silver Medallion upon Smith in 1985 as a Distinguished Service Alumnus, and in 1998 an LL. D. degree, honoris causa, was conferred upon him. In 1998, a Distinguished Professorship-Charity was established in Smith’s honor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
The Indiana University Maurer School of Law is located on the flagship campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The law school is one of two law schools operated by the Indiana University system, the other being the Indiana University McKinney School of Law...
in Bloomington. The School of Law, again, in 2007, honored Smith by inducting him into the Indiana Academy of Law Fellows –this, in recognition of his professional contributions to the legal profession. In 2008, a Fellowship in the LL.M. program was created in his honor by the Law School.
Professional Contributions
Over the years, Smith’s early reputation as a thoughtful scholar and lecturer has been fortified by his insightful global lectures, national and international academic appointments, his public service and teaching experiences, and his scholarship which has—in turn—both informed and guided contemporary debates on the parameters and perimeters of what has been termed the “New Biology.” He has been recognized widely for these achievements. In 1984, Smith was awarded a prestigious Australian-American Award and served as the Fulbright Visiting Professor of Law and Medical Jurisprudence at the Faculty of Law at the University of New South WalesUniversity of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, Australia. Under the title of “1984: A Brave or a Confused New World?”, several Fulbright Lectures were delivered throughout the Australian Continent by Smith during his Fulbright residency.
Since that initial visit to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Smith has returned regularly to hold academic and research appointments at that law faculties at The Australian National University, Macquarie
Macquarie
Macquarie is a commonly encountered name for geographical and business entities in Australia, all of which are directly or indirectly named after Lachlan Macquarie, early colonial administrator and governor of New South Wales.Macquarie may refer to:...
, Monash, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
as well as at Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and Dunedin, New Zealand.
Scholarship
Smith received the Gitzler Prize for his original scholarship entitled, “Biological Determinism and Genetic Discrimination” at the Tenth World Congress on Medical Law in Jerusalem, Israel in August, 1994.Judge Richard A. Posner, a member of the United States Court of Appeals
United States court of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
for The Seventh Circuit and Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
, acknowledged Smith as “one of the world’s leading experts on the legal and ethical issues raised by modern medicine…” and observed that “he writes with insight and authority, and offers a perspective that will influence policy debates.” Dr. Edmund D. Pellegrino, John Carroll Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Medical Ethics, Georgetown University and former Chairman of the President’s Council on Bioethics, recognized Smith as “an internationally acclaimed scholar and pioneer in cultivating the interdisciplinary study of questions in which law, medical ethics and bioethics intersect.” In inaugurating the George P. Smith, II, Distinguished Professorship-Chair of Law at Indiana University in January, 2000, Justice Michael D. Kirby of the High Court of Australia, paid tribute to Smith’s “awesome” level of transnational scholarship in Bioethics and his “indefatigable spirit and sense of total commitment as a questioning, inquisitive mind” and proceeded to herald Smith as a “prescient prophet of the New Biology.” Later in 2009, Justice Kirby hailed Smith’s “commitment to universalism” and “his voracious appetite for wisdom in the exploration of legal and bioethical question… beyond the United States.”
Early in his career, in 1985, the Institute for Advanced Study at Indiana University in Bloomington presented Smith with a Citation of Honor for his pathbreaking interdisciplinary research and writing on medial and biological issues as they relate to the norms of law and ethics.
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of his career in legal education in 1989, U.S. Congressman John T. Myers
John T. Myers (Congressman)
John Thomas Myers was a Republican Congressman from Indiana's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1997. His son-in-law, Brian D. Kerns, represented the same district from 2001 to 2003. John T...
paid tribute to Smith’s years of distinguished service to the legal profession. As well, the editors of the Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy published his bibliography of scholarship in Law, Science and Medicine.
In 1988, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Smith was recognized for his professional contributions to Law and Medical Science by induction to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. Similar recognition was given to Smith 1974 by his election to membership in The Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. Smith is also a life member of the prestigious American Law Institute.
Personal life
Smith lives in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in Georgetown and is unmarried. An avid reader, bibliophile and socially prominent supporter of the Arts, Smith has acknowledged his great debt of gratitude to friends and teachers who have had a positive influence in his life by establishing book collections to honor them. To that end, collections honoring Professor Sir David and Lady Williams and Professor Sir Derek Bowett at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Squire Law Library have been formed. As well, a collection honoring the memories of Dr. W. Taylor Reveley, II, President Emeritus of Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
, Virginia, and his wife Marie Eason Reveley, has been established at the Bortz Library at the College. The Wabash Carnegie Public Library in Indiana houses collections honoring three teachers form Wabash High School who had a transformative influence of Smith: Martha Biggerstaff Jones, Ruth A. Jones, and Mildred E. Hipskind. Additionally, Smith played a prominent role in establishing an endowed professorship at the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University – Bloomington, honoring the late Professor Harry Pratter.