Biography Arthur James Marshall Smith

Poet Biography

Arthur James Marshall Smith was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1902. He was educated at McGill University and received his B.A. in 1925 and his M.A. in 1926. In 1931 he received his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. At McGill University Smith edited the "McGill Daily Literary Supplement" from 1924 to 1925. When is was discontinued, Smith, along with F.R. Scott, founded and edited the "The McGill Fortnightly Review" in 1925. This was the first journal to publish modernist poetry and critical opinion in Canada. Throughout his lifetime, Smith's works were published in anthologies, and he became recognized nationally as a poet, critic and anthologist. He taught English at several American colleges before accepting a position, teaching English, at Michigan State University from 1936 until his retirement in 1972. Michigan University, upon his retirement, created the A.J.M. Smith Award, given annually for a noteworthy volume by a Canadian poet. Among Smith's most distinguished awards were the Governor General's Award in 1943, for "News of the phoenix and other poems", and the Lorne Pierce Medal in 1966. (Taken from: "Poets Between the Wars." Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1969.) In 1978 A.J.M. Smith received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Trent University. Trent University received a number of books and papers from Smith and a room on the first floor of the Bata Library was dedicated to him. In 1980 A.J.M. Smith died.