Introduction

Biography

David was the son of Will­iam Hen­ry Har­ris­on Smith and Ju­lia Welles Gris­wold, and hus­band of Co­ra Dem­ing Welch (mar­ried De­cem­ber 6, 1913, at the Welch re­si­dence in New Ha­ven).

He start­ed his stu­dies with Ho­ra­tio Park­er in 1895 at Yale Uni­vers­ity, and was ap­point­ed or­gan­ist at the Cen­ter Church in New Ha­ven.

He tra­veled to Eur­ope, and stu­died un­der Lud­wig Thuille in Mu­nich and Vin­cent d’In­dy in Pa­ris. He re­turned to Am­eri­ca in 1902.

On re­turn­ing to New Ha­ven in 1903, he taught mu­sic the­ory at Yale, and suc­ceed­ed Park­er as the dean of the School of Mu­sic, and as con­duct­or of the New Ha­ven Sym­pho­ny Or­che­stra.

Smith retired from Yale in 1946.