Kenneth B. Smith

The Rev. Kenneth B. Smith Sr.

The Rev. Kenneth Bryant Smith Sr. (February 19, 1931 – January 21, 2008) was a Chicago-area community leader and minister.

Smith was born in Montclair, New Jersey. After earning a bachelor's degree at Virginia Union University in 1953 and a master's degree from Drew University in 1954, he came to Chicago in the late 1950s to attend Bethany Theological Seminary, then located outside the city.^[1] He was ordained by the United Church of Christ and began his career as an associate pastor at the Congregational Church of Park Manor.^{[citation needed]} From there, he founded the Trinity United Church of Christ, before pastoring long-term at Church of the Good Shepherd in Washington Park.^{[citation needed]}

From 1979 to 1982,^{[citation needed]} he was a member of the Chicago Board of Education. On May 16, 1980, only eight months after he joined the board, the members of the board elected him to a one-year term as the board's president. He was the first black person to hold the office since it was created in 1840.^[2] Smith ultimately declined to seek reelection by the board to its presidency in 1981.^[3]

From 1984 to 1999 he served as president of Chicago Theological Seminary.^{[citation needed]}

In 1996, he received the Chicago History Museum "Making History Award" for Distinction in Public Service.^{[citation needed]}

References[]

Sources[]

• http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-hed_ksmithjan23,1,197927.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
• http://www.isfbank.com/kenneth_smith.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20120211113126/http://www.wideopenthinking.org/?p=111
• Speller, Julia (2005). Walkin' the Talk: Keepin the Faith in Afrocentric Congregations, Pilgrim Press.
• Susan B. Thistlethwaite (2008), "Remembering Ken Smith." Wide Open Thinking. Chicago Theological Seminary. https://web.archive.org/web/20120211113126/http://www.wideopenthinking.org/?p=111