Donal Smith
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Donal Ian Brice Smith |
| Born | 4 February 1934 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Died | 27 September 2023 (aged 89) |
| Spouse |
Jill Evans (m. 1959) |
| Children | 3 |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Auckland Grammar School |
| Alma mater | |
| Thesis | An edition of The rehearsal transpros'd by Andrew Marvell, with introduction and commentary (1963) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | English literature |
| Institutions | |
| Sport | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | Middle-distance running |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best | 800 m: 1:48.52[1] |
Donal Ian Brice Smith[2] (4 February 1934 – 27 September 2023) was a New Zealand middle-distance runner and English literature academic. He represented his country at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and 1960 Olympic Games, and was a professor of English at the University of Auckland from 1973 until his retirement in 2000.
Early life and family[edit]
Smith was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 4 February 1934, the son of Bruce and Judy (née Jaffray) Smith.[2][3] He was educated at Auckland Grammar School and at University of Auckland, taking a BA in 1954 and an MA the following year.[4] After a brief period lecturing at Auckland, he was the inaugural recipient of the Eliot Davis Memorial Scholarship in 1956, which provided for three years of study at either Cambridge or Oxford.[5] Later that year, he matriculated at Merton College, Oxford, spending the next four years studying for his DPhil.[4] His doctoral thesis was titled An edition of The rehearsal transpros'd by Andrew Marvell, with introduction and commentary.[6]
In 1959, Smith married Marjory Jill Evans,[4] with whom he later had three children.[7]
Athletic career[edit]
In 1958, Smith finished fifth in the final of the 880 yards at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. At the 1960 Summer Olympics, he was eliminated in the quarter-final of the 800 metres.[2]
Academic career[edit]
After a period at the University of Toronto, Smith was appointed a professor of English at the University of Auckland in 1973.[8][9] When he retired in 2000, he was accorded the title of professor emeritus.[10]
Death[edit]
Smith died on 27 September 2023, at the age of 89.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ Donal Smith: Biographical information, Olympedia
- ^ a b c Donal Smith at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- ^ "Births". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. 71, no. 21720. 8 February 1934. p. 1. Retrieved 30 September 2023 – via PapersPast.
- ^ a b c Levens, R.G.C., ed. (1964). Merton College Register 1900-1964. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. p. 483.
- ^ "Personal items". The Press. Vol. 93, no. 27941. 12 April 1956. p. 12. Retrieved 30 September 2023 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "An edition of The rehearsal transpros'd by Andrew Marvell, with introduction and commentary". SOLO. University of Oxford. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Donal Smith obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ Millar, Paul (2013). No Fretful Sleeper: A Life of Bill Pearson. Auckland University Press. ISBN 9781869405410. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "University personnel". Calendar 1999 (PDF). University of Auckland. p. 651. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Professores emeriti". University of Auckland. 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
External links[edit]
- Profile at trackfield.brinkster.net
- 1934 births
- 2023 deaths
- People educated at Auckland Grammar School
- University of Auckland alumni
- Alumni of Merton College, Oxford
- New Zealand male middle-distance runners
- Olympic athletes for New Zealand
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics
- Commonwealth Games competitors for New Zealand
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Academic staff of the University of Toronto
- Academic staff of the University of Auckland
- Scholars of English literature