June 2, 1932 - May 12, 2005
Edgar “Ben” Smith, MD is one of a handful of individuals who was president of the American Academy of Dermatology and also a recipient of the Academy’s Gold Medal. Born the son of a surgeon, he attended Rice University and graduated from Baylor College of Medicine. He trained in dermatology at Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Smith developed a lifelong interest in England after he spent a year there as a Fulbright Scholar.
An early introduction to griseofulvin at the University of Miami sparked his lifelong interest in fungal infections of the skin. After starting the dermatology program in New Mexico, Dr. Smith moved to Galveston, Texas where he spent over 25 years as a chairman of the dermatology department at The University of Texas Medical Branch. His legacy is enhanced by the number of faculty he mentored and the residents he trained who became superb clinical dermatologists.
