Michael E. Smith ’65

A standout member of our class, Mike was one of a kind, no matter what. Skeptical, energetic, clear-minded, and goal-driven, his accomplishments, among us and in his later life, are remarkable by any standard. Michael died of lung cancer May 31, 2021, in Madison, Wis., with his wife, Kate Kruse, by his side. They met when they were University of Wisconsin law professors. 

Born June 30, 1942, in Manhattan and raised in Darien, Conn., Michael attended The Hill School and, at Princeton, won a varsity P on our undefeated football team, was three-time class president, a Rhodes Scholar, and the Pyne Prize winner. But for Bradley, Iacavazzi, and a few other distinguished classmates, it could be said he left the cupboard bare, but that cupboard is, and always will be, replenished, as Michael did by what he represented and accomplished.

His signal achievement was to head the Vera Institute of Law and Justice in Manhattan, the premier not-for-profit institution in America for the rehabilitation of our criminal-justice system. He helped change that system by working at, then heading, Vera from 1974 to 1995, after Harvard Law and a stint at the law firm of Paul, Weiss.

He is survived by wife Katherine; son Graham and daughter Charlotte (both from a previous marriage); stepson Kinkaid Kruse-Frink; stepdaughter Rose Livermore; and sister Catherine Sheridan Smith. He inspired admiration, along with deep respect, and will live in our hearts forever.