David L. Smiley Papers
Dr. David L. Smiley was a Wake Forest University history professor and noted Reid Staton Bible Class leader for the Wake Forest Baptist Church (Winston-Salem, N.C.). The collection (1940s-2005) includes correspondence, manuscripts, speeches, Wake Forest class lectures, notes and research, research on Cassius M. Clay, sermons and prayers, recordings of guest speakers from the WFU Pastor's School, recordings of Smiley's Reid Staton Bible class lectures, biographical materials, and awards.
Biographical and Historical Note
David L. Smiley was born on St. Patrick's Day in 1921 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He served in World War II after attending Mississippi College; upon his return, he obtained his A.B. (1947) and M.A. (1948) at Baylor University and his Ph.D. (1953) at the University of Wisconsin. He began teaching at Wake Forest immediately and taught in the history department until 1991.
Frequently remembered for sporting a beret while cruising around campus on his bicycle, Smiley was a well-known presence on campus. His lectures were characterized as humorous, anecdotal lectures, provoking reactions and opinions of his students through the use of outrageous claims. Although Smiley focused his research and teaching on the history of the South, he also taught classes in ancient history as well as the American West and the role of women in American history.
Smiley was opposed to segregation, and acted accordingly; along with several University colleagues, he helped bring the first black student to Wake Forest campus. The Ghanian student, Edward Reynolds, graduated in 1964; Reynolds went on to obtain his Ph.D. at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies and teach at the University of California, San Diego.
Among Smiley's publications, he is most noted for his article and various lectures concerning "The Quest for the Central Theme in Southern History," published in 1972 in the South Atlantic Quarterly. He also published The Lion of Whitehall: The Life of Cassius Marcellus Clay in 1962; his extensive notes on the subject are featured in this collection. He is best known for The South in American History, Second Edition, written with William B. Hesseltine (1960). Smiley spent 1968-1969 at the University of Strasbourg as a Fulbright Lecturer. He was cited as one of the most outstanding educators in America in 1970 and received the Jon Reinhardt Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1988. Smiley retired in 1991 from WFU but continued to lead the Reid Staton Bible Class, aired on WFDD for many years, until 2003. Smiley passed away on December 27, 2004.
Collection Overview
This collection documents the activities of Wake Forest University history professor David L. Smiley. Materials are largely textual, ranging from the late 1940s to 2005, with the bulk of information dating 1960s-2000s. The collection is comprised of primarily research and teaching materials, including lecture and research notes. Also included is a vast collection of lectures, sermons and speeches, including his notes (1970-2003) from leading discussions for the Reid Staton Bible Class. Manuscripts and research for publications The South in American History and The Lion of Whitehall: The Life of Cassius Marcellus Clay are included. The collection also includes correspondence dating from 1951-2004; letters written during Smiley's service in World War II; various book reviews and essays; recordings of guest speakers from the WFU Pastor's School; files relating to international programs in Venice, Italy, Strasbourg, France, and Tokai, Japan; artifacts; and biographical material including clippings, and awards. Finally, 24 recordings of David Smiley at the Reid Staton Bible class, ranging in date from 1975 to 2001, are also present. Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available in Z. Smith Reynolds Library Digital Collections.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is organized into five series: Series 1. Correspondence, professional and personal, Series 2. Manuscripts and writings, Series 3. Personal and professional materials, Series 4. Research and teaching materials, Series 5. Religious materials, Series 6. Speeches and lectures, and Series 7. WFU course and extracurricular materials.
Series 1. Correspondence, professional and personal, is organized chronologically with undated materials located at the beginning. It includes correspondence dated 1951 to 2004, with professor colleagues and organizations seeking to have him speak.
Series 2. Manuscripts and writings, is divided into two subseries: Subseries A. Personal and Subseries, and B. Book reviews. Both series are in alphabetical order and contain general essays as well as longer manuscripts for his books "The South in American History" and "The Quest for the Central Theme in American History."
Series 3. Personal and professional materials, is arranged in alphabetical order. The series contains newspaper clippings, awards, and certificates.
Series 4. Research and teaching materials, is divided into three subseries: Subseries A. Cassius M. Clay research materials, Subseries B. Educational materials, and Subseries C. Subject files. All three are organized in alphabetical order. Subseres A. focuses on Smiley's research regarding Cassius M. Clay, the Kentucky politician and abolitionist, and is arranged alphabetically. Subseries B. contains materials from Smiley's own education and is arranged chronologically. Subseries C. contains notes and other research materials on a variety of topics, including course and writing topics, and is arranged alphabetically.
Series 5. Religious materials, is divided into five sub-series: Subseries A. Pastor's School audio recordings, Subseries B. Reid Staton Bible Class lessons, Subseries C. Reid Staton Bible Class audiorecordings, Subseries D. Sermons and prayers, and Subseries E. Uncategorized materials. The subseries contain written scripts and audio recordings from religious speaking engagements from around 1970 through 2003. Topics include "According to Mark" and "The Gospel, the Church and the University."
Series 6. Speeches and lectures, includes speeches and lectures from 1971-2001, including both University and external organization and event speaking engagements. Also included are a small number of materials about the engagements, like programs and invitations. Engagements include History Day, Kiwanis Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, Veterans' Day, Southern Historical Society, and the University's Pre-School Conference, among others.
Series 7. WFU course and extracurricular materials, contains subject files that generally align with course subjects or titles. It is arranged in alphabetical order.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Names
Occupations
Historians -- North Carolina
Subjects
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Processed by Katherine Redmond with assistance from Audra Eagle Yun, 2010 October
- Revision Description
- Revised by Stephanie Bennett, Finley Trent, Ludan Gbaye, Stephanie Bennett, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
- Revision Description
- Revised by Kate Trathen, added new accession, 2026 April
- Access Restrictions
- This collection is open for use.
- Copyright Notice
- The nature of the WFU Z.Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
- Preferred Citation
- David L. Smiley Papers (MS572), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.