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{{Short description|American standardization official}} | {{Short description|American standardization official}} | ||
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}} | {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}} | ||
{{Infobox person | |||
⚫ | |||
| name = Oliver R. Smoot | |||
| image = | |||
| alt = | |||
| caption = | |||
| image_size = | |||
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1940|8|24}} | |||
| birth_place = ], U.S. | |||
| height = 1 smoot | |||
| nationality = American | |||
| education = ], ], ], and ] (1962) | |||
| alma_mater = ] | |||
| occupation = ], retired | |||
| employer = | |||
| known_for = Unit of measurement known as a ] | |||
| website = | |||
}} | |||
'''Oliver Reed Smoot, Jr.''' (born August 24, 1940) is an ] alumnus who was chairman of the ] (ANSI) from 2001 to 2002 and president of the ] (ISO) from 2003 to 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ansi.org/other_services/speakers_bureau/smoot|title=Speakers Bureau: Oliver R. Smoot|access-date=January 13, 2016|publisher=American National Standards Institute}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Ralph M. |title=In Honor of an Outstanding American and His Work as President of the International Standards Organization: Oliver R. Smoot |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2003-02-27/html/CREC-2003-02-27-pt1-PgE301-2.htm |website=GovInfo |publisher=Government Publishing Office |access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref><ref> at Geni.com</ref> | |||
⚫ | In 2011, '']'' admitted his decapitalized surname, ], meaning a distance of {{convert|5|ft|7|in}}, as one of the 10,000 new words added to their fifth edition. The term is named for Smoot from his undergraduate days when he was used as a ] on the ] at MIT during a ] activity.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cornish|first=Audie|title=Looking Up Words in a Book Not So Strange Yet|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/11/13/142284657/looking-up-words-in-a-book-not-so-strange-yet|accessdate=December 10, 2012|newspaper=National Public Radio|date=November 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=smoot&submit.x=47&submit.y=23|work=American Heritage Dictionary|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company|title=American Heritage Dictionary entry|accessdate=December 10, 2012}}</ref> | ||
==Biography== | |||
He received his ] from ] and his ] degree from ]. Smoot, a member of ] fraternity, graduated from MIT with the class of 1962. | |||
==Early life and education== | |||
⚫ | From |
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Smoot was born August 24, 1940, in ]. He attended ] in ], where he was a member of ] fraternity and obtained a ] in 1962. He then attended ] in ], where he obtained his ]. | |||
==Career== | |||
⚫ | Smoot gave a speech to a hearing of the House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Technology on March 20, 2000, |
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⚫ | From 2000–2005, he served as vice president for external voluntary standards relations of the ] (ITI). Prior to that, he was ITI's executive vice president for 23 years.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 2013 |title=Newsletter of the MIT Alumni Club of San Diego |url=https://sandiego.alumclub.mit.edu/s/1314/images/gid196/editor_documents/2013_newsletters/20130400.newsletter.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623024506/https://sandiego.alumclub.mit.edu/s/1314/images/gid196/editor_documents/2013_newsletters/20130400.newsletter.pdf?gid=196&pgid=49744&sessionid=eb67bf02-d394-42b5-9ac4-b867014f93ba&cc=1 |archive-date=June 23, 2022 |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=sandiego.alumclub.mit.edu}}</ref> | ||
⚫ | Smoot gave a speech to a hearing of the ]'s Subcommittee on Technology on March 20, 2000, titled "The Role of Technical Standards in Today's Society and in the Future". | ||
He returned to MIT on October 4, 2008, for a 50th anniversary celebration,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/2008/10/07/say-hello-to-mr-smoot-of-smoot-fame/ |title=Say Hello to Mr. Smoot of Smoot Fame |website=Catanbrigia |first=David |last=Harris |date=October 7, 2008 |access-date=January 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907170520/http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/2008/10/07/say-hello-to-mr-smoot-of-smoot-fame/ |archive-date=September 7, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> including the installation of a plaque on the bridge. Smoot was also presented with an official unit of measurement: a smoot stick.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19926712-200-feedback/ |title=Smoot and roll |journal=New Scientist |access-date=January 27, 2015 |issue= 2671 |date=August 27, 2008 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> On May 7, 2016, he served as the grand marshal of the parade marking the centenary of MIT's moving from Boston's Back Bay into Cambridge.<ref name=parade>{{cite news | url = https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/01/25/mit-host-moving-day-parade-and-celebration/yHDuKWB5S6i0IhOMW2c2NN/story.html | title = MIT to host 'Moving Day' parade and celebration | first = Steve | last = Annear | date = January 25, 2016 | accessdate = January 25, 2016 |newspaper=Boston Globe}}</ref><ref name="fleming">{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2016/05/07/mit-celebrate-century-cambridge-today/yArGeYQ1dr5NDfsVR3MimO/story.html|title=By land and by water, MIT celebrates 100 years in Cambridge|last=Fleming|first=Nicole|date=May 7, 2016|work=Boston Globe|accessdate=May 9, 2016}}</ref> | He returned to MIT on October 4, 2008, for a 50th anniversary celebration,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/2008/10/07/say-hello-to-mr-smoot-of-smoot-fame/ |title=Say Hello to Mr. Smoot of Smoot Fame |website=Catanbrigia |first=David |last=Harris |date=October 7, 2008 |access-date=January 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907170520/http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/2008/10/07/say-hello-to-mr-smoot-of-smoot-fame/ |archive-date=September 7, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> including the installation of a plaque on the bridge. Smoot was also presented with an official unit of measurement: a smoot stick.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19926712-200-feedback/ |title=Smoot and roll |journal=New Scientist |access-date=January 27, 2015 |issue= 2671 |date=August 27, 2008 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> On May 7, 2016, he served as the grand marshal of the parade marking the centenary of MIT's moving from Boston's Back Bay into Cambridge.<ref name=parade>{{cite news | url = https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/01/25/mit-host-moving-day-parade-and-celebration/yHDuKWB5S6i0IhOMW2c2NN/story.html | title = MIT to host 'Moving Day' parade and celebration | first = Steve | last = Annear | date = January 25, 2016 | accessdate = January 25, 2016 |newspaper=Boston Globe}}</ref><ref name="fleming">{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2016/05/07/mit-celebrate-century-cambridge-today/yArGeYQ1dr5NDfsVR3MimO/story.html|title=By land and by water, MIT celebrates 100 years in Cambridge|last=Fleming|first=Nicole|date=May 7, 2016|work=Boston Globe|accessdate=May 9, 2016}}</ref> | ||
==Personal life== | |||
Currently,{{when?|date=February 2022}} Oliver Smoot is retired and lives in ], California, with his spouse Sandra Smoot. He is also a representative of the MIT Education Council. | |||
Smoot lives in ] with his spouse Sandra Smoot. He is also a representative of the MIT Education Council. He has a son and daughter, both of whom also attended MIT.<ref>, '']'', October 9, 2020</ref> | |||
Smoot is a distant relative of Senator ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/16/us/washington-talk-not-smitten-with-smoot.html|access-date=2022-05-23|date=1987-11-16|work=New York Times|title=Washington Talk; Not Smitten With Smoot}}</ref> | Smoot is a distant relative of Senator ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/16/us/washington-talk-not-smitten-with-smoot.html|access-date=2022-05-23|date=1987-11-16|work=New York Times|title=Washington Talk; Not Smitten With Smoot}}</ref> | ||
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* {{cite web |url= https://www.mit.edu/spotlight/smoot-salute/ |work= Salute |title= A Salute to Smoot |quote= Smoot makes his mark in standards and measurements |first= Susan |last= Curran |date= Dec 19, 2005 |url-status= dead |archive-date= June 20, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150620132448/http://www.mit.edu/spotlight/smoot-salute/ }} | * {{cite web |url= https://www.mit.edu/spotlight/smoot-salute/ |work= Salute |title= A Salute to Smoot |quote= Smoot makes his mark in standards and measurements |first= Susan |last= Curran |date= Dec 19, 2005 |url-status= dead |archive-date= June 20, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150620132448/http://www.mit.edu/spotlight/smoot-salute/ }} | ||
* {{cite book |author-link= Robert Tavernor |first= Robert |last= Tavernor |title= Smoot's Ear: the Measure of Humanity |publisher= Yale University Press |date= 2007 |isbn= 978-0-300-12492-7 |url= https://archive.org/details/smootsearmeasure0000tave |url-access= registration }} | * {{cite book |author-link= Robert Tavernor |first= Robert |last= Tavernor |title= Smoot's Ear: the Measure of Humanity |publisher= Yale University Press |date= 2007 |isbn= 978-0-300-12492-7 |url= https://archive.org/details/smootsearmeasure0000tave |url-access= registration }} | ||
* , '']'', October 9, 2020 | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smoot, Oliver}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Smoot, Oliver}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 11:58, 29 October 2024
American standardization official
Oliver R. Smoot | |
---|---|
Born | (1940-08-24) August 24, 1940 (age 84) Bexar County, Texas, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Education | BS, Economics, Political Science, and Mathematics (1962) |
Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Occupation(s) | Expert witness, retired |
Known for | Unit of measurement known as a smoot |
Height | 1 smoot |
Oliver Reed Smoot, Jr. (born August 24, 1940) is an MIT alumnus who was chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) from 2001 to 2002 and president of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) from 2003 to 2004.
In 2011, American Heritage Dictionary admitted his decapitalized surname, smoot, meaning a distance of 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m), as one of the 10,000 new words added to their fifth edition. The term is named for Smoot from his undergraduate days when he was used as a unit of measurement on the Harvard Bridge at MIT during a fraternity pledge activity.
Early life and education
Smoot was born August 24, 1940, in Bexar County, Texas. He attended MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and obtained a Bachelor of Science in 1962. He then attended Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where he obtained his JD.
Career
From 2000–2005, he served as vice president for external voluntary standards relations of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). Prior to that, he was ITI's executive vice president for 23 years.
Smoot gave a speech to a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Technology on March 20, 2000, titled "The Role of Technical Standards in Today's Society and in the Future".
He returned to MIT on October 4, 2008, for a 50th anniversary celebration, including the installation of a plaque on the bridge. Smoot was also presented with an official unit of measurement: a smoot stick. On May 7, 2016, he served as the grand marshal of the parade marking the centenary of MIT's moving from Boston's Back Bay into Cambridge.
Personal life
Smoot lives in San Diego with his spouse Sandra Smoot. He is also a representative of the MIT Education Council. He has a son and daughter, both of whom also attended MIT.
Smoot is a distant relative of Senator Reed Smoot.
References
- "Speakers Bureau: Oliver R. Smoot". American National Standards Institute. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- Hall, Ralph M. "In Honor of an Outstanding American and His Work as President of the International Standards Organization: Oliver R. Smoot". GovInfo. Government Publishing Office. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- "Oliver Smoot" at Geni.com
- Cornish, Audie (November 13, 2011). "Looking Up Words in a Book Not So Strange Yet". National Public Radio. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- "American Heritage Dictionary entry". American Heritage Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- "Newsletter of the MIT Alumni Club of San Diego" (PDF). sandiego.alumclub.mit.edu. April 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- Harris, David (October 7, 2008). "Say Hello to Mr. Smoot of Smoot Fame". Catanbrigia. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- "Smoot and roll". New Scientist (2671). August 27, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- Annear, Steve (January 25, 2016). "MIT to host 'Moving Day' parade and celebration". Boston Globe. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- Fleming, Nicole (May 7, 2016). "By land and by water, MIT celebrates 100 years in Cambridge". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- "Someone San Diego show know", San Diego Tribune, October 9, 2020
- "Washington Talk; Not Smitten With Smoot". New York Times. November 16, 1987. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
External links
- "The Role of Technical Standards in Today's Society and in the Future". Speech. Subcommittee on Technology: Hearing before the House Science Committee. September 13, 2000. Archived from the original on December 16, 2004.
Statement of Oliver R. Smoot Acting Chairman, American National Standards Institute
- "Smoot, Namesake of a Unit of Length, Retires". Interview. All Things Considered. NPR. December 7, 2005.
- Curran, Susan (December 19, 2005). "A Salute to Smoot". Salute. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015.
Smoot makes his mark in standards and measurements
- Tavernor, Robert (2007). Smoot's Ear: the Measure of Humanity. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12492-7.
- "Someone San Diego should know", San Diego Tribune, October 9, 2020