Mickey Charles Smith, 83, died at his home in Oxford, Mississippi, on July 5, 2022. Predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Mary Hopkins Smith; he is survived by a daughter, Rebecca (Sandy Holland) Smith of Columbus, Mississippi, and a son, Dr. Phillip Smith of Germantown, Tennessee, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Born in Jefferson City, Missouri where he attended high school, Smith then studied pharmacy at what is now the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (UHSP) in St. Louis where he received his pharmacy degree in 1960 and his master’s degree in 1962. In 1964, he was awarded his doctorate degree from the University of Mississippi.
After two years with the Swedish drug firm, Pharmacia, Smith returned to Ole Miss as the first chair of the Department of Pharmacy Administration, beginning a 37-year teaching and research career at the University. While at Ole Miss, Smith was named one of the first four F.A.P Barnard Distinguished Professors in 1988 and also served as the Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management and Associate Director of the Bureau of Pharmaceutical Services. He also served as Visiting Professor at the University of Bath in England during a sabbatical leave in 1972.
Smith also held a joint appointment in the Department of Management and Marketing at Ole Miss. Recipient of numerous state, national, and international awards, he received the Distinguished Pharmacy Educator Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in 1981 – the first time the award was given. Also for the first time, in 1969, the Rufus A. Lyman Award for scholarly writing. Fellowships included: Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, American School Health Association, and Institutes of Pharmacy Management in both Australia and England.
He served on the board of the Mississippi Health Pharmacy Council under three governors. Smith was a member of the honor societies, Rho Chi, Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Alpha Kappa Delta, Phi Lambda Sigma, and the Gold Key National Honor Society. Additional honors included: The Research Achievement Award from the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Stimulation of Research Award from the American Pharmacists Association, The Pellegrino Award for Contributions to Medical Ethics, and The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southwestern Marketing Association. Smith was awarded an honorary doctorate by his Alma Mater in St. Louis in 2012.
An avid traveler, with his wife, Smith visited one hundred countries as well as all continents and the fifty states. Some travel was by invitation, including talks in Japan, China and frequently, in England. He was a great lecturer at twenty colleges of pharmacy. Smith served as consultant to the WHO, FDA, and FTC as well as numerous pharmaceutical companies, and testified before a Congressional committee. A prolific writer and editor, Smith wrote and edited twenty one books, the most recent published in 2020.
He founded and edited three academic journals while at Ole Miss. Two of his books reflected his hobby, “Old Time Radio” about which he published numerous articles. His professional papers numbered more than 400 in 100 different research and professional journals and he served on the editorial boards of more than two dozen journals. Perhaps his single most significant accomplishment as an educator, Smith directed more than 75 masters and doctoral students, five of whom later served as deans of pharmacy schools.
A private graveside service was held Friday, July 8, 2022, at Oxford Memorial Cemetery. Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford was in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Dr. Mickey Charles Smith can be made to the Mickey and Mary Smith Endowment at the University of Mississippi (https://umfoundation.givingfuel.com/mickeysmith