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One of the early contributors of large book collections to the Brigham Young Academy Library was Frank Warren Smith. A chemist, tropical fruit grower in Mexico, and Mormon convert, Mr. Smith was born in Corry, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1863, a son of William Henry Leland Smith. In 1887 he received an M.A. degree in chemistry at Harvard University. He also spent a year studying in France and Germany. Following this he was employed on the railraods in Mexico. Sometime between 1895 to 1906 he became a convert to the L.D.S. Church while living in California where he was first employed as a chemist for a powder works company at Los Gatos, California. His conversion to the church was aided through his acquaintence with Ephraim H. Nye, president of the California L.D.S. Mission. After 1907 or 1908, he moved to Sinaloa, Mexico where he abandoned his career to live like a hermit. As a result of his chemistry background, and since there were no doctors, he assisted many of the people who became ill in the locality. He took pride in raising tropical fruit.
He was a personal friend of B.Y.U. President George H. Brimhall. He made his first book contribution to the B.Y.A. library in 1897, gift Benjamin Cluff was president of the academy at the time. The final gift came in 1907 or 1908. In honor of his maternal grandmother, Maria Leland, the book collection was named the Maria Leland Library. The total collection reached nearly 1500 books primarily in the fields of science and literature.
Throughout most of his life he was plagued with ill health and frugal means. Although he could have been aided financially on several occasions by his mother, he chose to be independent from family assistance.
He lived to the age of 82 and passed away on June 5, 1946 while in Boston attending an alumni reunion of Harvard University.
Diary, correspondence to and from presidents of Brigham Young Academy, other correspondence, family genealogy, newspaper clippings, mementos, programs, articles by Smith on evolution and politics and religion, financial records, chemistry papers and notes, and miscellaneous items. The materials relate primarily to Smith's work as a chemist and his association with the Brigham Young Academy in Provo, Utah.
Diary of Frank Warren Smith,
Letters to the editor signed by Frank Warren Smith, Powder plant explosions, Election of President McKinley.
Printed program of Mormon Tabernacle Choir concerts in San
Fancisco,
Masonic Lodge membership certificate, 1885; Union Library Association membership certificate; Harvard University; Harvard Club of San Fancisco; American Chemical Society.
Wells Fargo and Company money order receipts; Tithing and Church contributions with letters of acknowledgement; itemized statement for books purchased from Union Library Association, New York City.
Benjamin Cluff, Jr.; George H. Brimhall; W.M. McKendrick, Librarian; O.W. Andelin, librarian; George M. Cope, librarian; Charles E. Maw; Anthony W. Ivins.
Correspondence due to fading is not readable until page 226; letter to President George H. Brimhall, page 226 and 245; a short talk on explosives.
Four chemical notebooks; hospital fund cash book,
Scheme for distilling Mercury; analysis of dynamite and
gelatine dynamite; card file of formulas; cost of handling powder at
Bermingham; Methods for the Examination of Glycerol for Use in the
Nitroglycerol Manufacture; Society of Chemical Industry,
See attached itemized list and appraisal
Appraised by William Barboza,
American Coins and Tokens
English and English Owned Territories Coins and
Tokens
* Missing from collection -- unable to locate.
Various Foreign Coins and Tokens
Miscellaneous Coins and Tokens Not Appraised
1 silver cup; 2 silver bands; 1 silver inwell; 1 silver watch with gold chain; 2 silver pocket knives; 1 silver fork, spoon, and knife set; 1 sea shell; 1 stone bowl; 1 pumice stone.