David C. Smith’s immense contributions to Queen’s were recognized on Saturday during the official opening of the new residence building that bears his name.

Mary Smith, Principal Emeritus Smith’s wife, and several other family members attended the celebration on Saturday. Principal Daniel Woolf recalled the collegial and consensus-building approach Principal Emeritus Smith took while leading the institution during a transitional period between 1984 and 1994.

An expert on labour economics and income policy, Principal Emeritus Smith came to Queen’s in 1961. He took over as head of the economics department in 1968. Over the next 13 years, he built the economics department at Queen’s into a nationally recognized powerhouse.

Principal Emeritus Smith was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1976 and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1994. He retired from Queen’s in 1996. After a brief illness, Principal Emeritus Smith died in 2000.

Smith House is one of two new student residences to open at Queen’s this fall. Brant House, which is named in honour of Dr. Marlene Brant Castellano and Dr. Clare Clifton Brant, officially opened in October.

The new residences accommodate 550 students, ensuring first-year students will continue to have the chance to live in residence, which is an important part of the Queen’s experience. The new residences also allow the university to restore common rooms in existing residences that were converted to rooms, and to provide additional residence space for upper-year and international students.