Whitney Smith Jr. was a professional vexillologist and scholar of flags. He originated the term vexillology, which refers to the scholarly analysis of all aspects of flags. He was a founder of several vexillology organizations. Smith was a Laureate and a Fellow of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations.
Early life
Whitney Smith Jr. was born on February 26, 1940 to Mildred and Whitney Smith. As a youth, he lived in Lexington and Winchester, Massachusetts. With Patriots' Day memories and a 1946 gift of The Golden Encyclopedia, Smith's interest in flags was started. At Harvard, he studied political science and received a bachelor's degree in the field in 1961. During his time at Harvard, Smith designed Guyana's flag. He received his doctorate in political science at Boston University in 1964. Political symbolism was the subject of his dissertation.
Career
Smith had his first article published at age 18. By 1960, he was consulting with the Encyclopaedia Britannica. In 1961, Smith and colleague Gerhard Grahl co-founded The Flag Bulletin, the world's first journal about flags. The following year, Smith established The Flag Research Center at his home and was its director. Smith worked with Klaes Sierksma to organize the First International Congress of Vexillology in 1965. They joined Louis Mühlemann in founding the International League of Vexillologists and were members of its Governing Board on September 5, 1965, and operated until September 3, 1967. The league was replaced by the International Federation of Vexillological Associations with Smith as vice-president of the Provisional Council as of September 3, 1967. In 1969, Smith moved from being FIAV Provisional Council vice-president to being the first Secretary-General of FIAV. Smith was also responsible for founding the North American Vexillological Association and the Flag Heritage Foundation. On August 28, 1981, he was elected the second Secretary-General for Congresses, ending his multiple terms as FIAV Secretary-General. Smith served in that office until he returned to the FIAV Secretary-General position on September 29, 1983. Smith quit his full-time professorship at Boston University in 1970. By 1985, he had written 19 books. On July 5, 1991, Smith was named by the FIAV a Laureate of the Federation and left the office of FIAV Secretary-General. He was given the honor of Fellow of the Federation on July 27, 2001. In 2013 he transferred The Flag Research Center's library and archives to The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. On November 17, 2016, Smith died from complications of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 76.
