 When he was three years old, his family emigrated to the United States and settled in Stonington, Connecticut.He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1908 and the family legally changed its name to Smith in 1918.Smith first joined Charles Pfizer and Company at age 17 while he was studying at night at Cooper Union (he received his degree in chemistry in 1911), and would spend almost his entire business career at Pfizer.