Walter B. Smith II ’51

Walter died of lung cancer Mar. 1, 1995. From 1958- 87, he had been a Foreign Service officer, specializing in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. His career included assignments in Moscow, Frankfurt, Warsaw, East Berlin, and Tel Aviv, He had been senior fellow at the Strategic Concepts Development Center in the Defense Dept. and deputy director of the Center of the Study of Foreign Affairs at the Foreign Service Institute.

When he retired, Walter became a foreign editor at the Washington Post, then a legislative assistant at Cleary, Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton law firm, and editor of The East/West Business & Trade Newsletter. In 1986, he organized the Assn. for Diplomatic Studies to promote the history of the Foreign Service. After he retired, Walter became a certified genealogist; his book, The Edward Clark Genealogy, was named the finest genealogy in America in 1988.

Walter prepared at St. George's School. At Princeton, he was a history major, a member of Key & Seal, and he rowed on the crew.

Walter is survived by Nancy Clark Smith, his second wife; their daughter, Lydia; his children, Katrina, Marian, Burges '84, and Matthew '88; a sister, Prudence; and two grandchildren. Walter made significant contributions to American diplomacy in difficult times. The class will miss him and sends condolences to his family.