Smith, Harold C.
Biographical Note
With an undergraduate degree in economics and history and graduate degrees in both business and divinity, Harold Smith was well prepared for his 42 years at the YMCA Retirement Fund. He served in various roles before his 1983 appointment as president and chief investment officer.
In Smith’s 17 years as president, the Fund grew from 17,000 members with $400 million in assets, to 75,000 members and $3.75 billion in assets. Smith also had success combining his expertise in financial matters and his deeply spiritual side. From 1958 to 2000 he served as voluntary senior pastor of the Unity Hill United Church of Christ in Trumbull, Conn. Smith served as a member of the YMCA of the USA International Committee and director of the World Federation of Associations of YMCA Secretaries in Geneva, Switzerland. He was the treasurer of the YMCA Association of Professional Directors (APD) from 1969 to 1978, and served a three-year term as the APD president.
In retirement, Smith continued to serve on the Board of the International Branch of the YMCA of Greater New York and as a Springfield College trustee. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Springfield College in 1998.