Hugh M. (Hugh McCormick) Smith

Born in Washington, D.C., in 1865, Hugh McCormick Smith became one of the best-known American fisheries scientists of his time. He is identified by major reference sources as an ichthyologist and administrator in the United States Bureau of Fisheries, and he also studied and published on herpetology and ichthyology for the Smithsonian.

Smith's career joined scientific research with public service. He worked extensively on fish and fisheries, took part in important expeditions, and became especially associated with fisheries development in both the United States and Asia. His writing reflects that broad experience, ranging from practical fishery reports to natural-history studies.

He died in 1941, but his work still appears in library and archival records because of its lasting value to zoology and fisheries history. For readers coming to his books today, he stands out as a writer who combined hands-on investigation with a strong desire to document and explain the natural world.