Walter H. “Smitty” Smith

The first confirmed African American Student to graduate from West Chester State Normal School (W.C.S.N.S) was Walter H. Smith in 1910.  He, like most of his classmates, studied to be a teacher.  He was a member of the Moore Literary Society, one of two literary societies on campus serving as the social and scholarly outlet for students.

Walter Hibberd Smith was born April 15, 1892 in Malvern, PA.  He served in both World Wars after graduating from W.C.S.N.S.  He married Louisa C. Smith and had two children, Charles and Eleanor.  He taught in Wilmington, Delaware and Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he worked his way up to Principal.  He died in 1956.

To learn more about W.C.U graduates check out our digital Yearbooks and use the Ancestry Database.