Maurice D. Smith, 87, a long-time member of the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History, recently passed away. He was also the director and founding curator of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston, Ont. from 1979 until 2004. During his tenure, Smith helped the Marine Museum develop one of the largest maritime history collections in Canada. Its holdings were well in excess of 3,000 artifacts, 11,000 titles, 40,000 ship plans, and over 15,000 photographs, nautical charts, paintings and drawings.
An early pioneer in the use of Internet technology for maritime history research, Smith co-founded MARHST-L, listserv in 1994. The listserv promoted worldwide communication among professionals and individuals with a serious interest in maritime history and maritime museums. After his retirement, Smith was named Curator Emeritus of the Marine Museum, which was the forerunner of today’s Great Lakes Museum. In 2011, he was honored with the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History’s Joyce S. Hayward Award for Historic Preservation.
The Ontario Historical Society award Smith its prestigious Carnochan Award for his nearly 40 year of service to the heritage community and efforts to preserve and promote Ontario’s heritage.
Association for Great Lakes Maritime History
Maurice D. Smith. [Association for Great Lakes Maritime History]
