smˈɪθ wʌz ᵻlˈɛktᵻd tə mˈɛmbɚʃˌɪp ɪnðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts nˈæʃənəl ɐkˈædəmi ʌv sˈaɪənsᵻz ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti θɹˈiː, ænd wʌzɐ dɪstˈɪŋɡwɪʃt bˈɑːtɐnˌɪst hˌuː spˈɛʃəlˌaɪzd ɪn tˈɛɹɪdəfˌaɪts ænd spˈɜːmɐɾəfˌaɪts æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv həwˈaɪiː ʌntˈɪl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti.
Smith was elected to membership in the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1963, and was a distinguished botanist who specialized in Pteridophytes and Spermatophytes at the University of Hawaiʻi until 1970.