Charles Ullman Smith

Tallahassee, FL I 1926 - 2015

Dr. Charles Ullman Smith, of Tallahassee, was a noted sociologist, civil rights leader and a long-time faculty member of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). In 1948, Smith completed his Ph.D. in sociology at Washington State University. Over the course of his almost 50 years at FAMU, Smith served as the Department of Sociology Chairman, Director of Graduate Studies, and Dean of Graduate Studies. He also published a number of books and articles. Smith was active in the Tallahassee Bus Boycott of 1956 and numerous other civil rights initiatives. He was also active in the Civil Rights Movement, including the Tallahassee Bus Boycott of 1956 and the lunch counter sit-ins of 1960. In 2016, the 60th anniversary of the Tallahassee Bus Boycott was named in his honor.