PROFESSOR JOHN SMITH

PROFESSOR JOHN SMITH was one of a remarkable group of young men who, after active service in the final phases of the Second World War, became the first postwar cohort of students at the Lon - don School of Economics, and went on to influence not only the social sciences but the British university system during its most expansive post-Robbins era. Smith's contribution was wide - rang - ing . After graduating in 1950, he spent two years researching with the Acton Society Trust and the next 12 years as a lecturer in industrial sociology at the LSE. In 1964 he became the founding Professor of Sociology at Southampton University, where he stayed until his re - tirement in 1991. There he established and for many years headed one of the leading depart -

ments of sociology and social policy in the country. As a prolific and skilful com - mittee man and a fervent advocate of interdisciplinary activity, he was a mem - ber at one time or another of most of the university's key committees. He was Dean of Social Sciences from 1967 to 1970 and Deputy Vice-Chancellor , from 1974 to 1978. Close to his heart, too, were the development of the university library — he played a leading part in creating its outstanding collection of official papers, as well as bringing the Wellington family archive to Southampton — and the uni - versity ' s role in the arts. Among Smith's numerous activities outside the university were involvement in Unesco, the Open University, and es - pecially the Council for National Aca - demic Awards. He was a member of sev - eral of the council's boards and chairman