USC Marshall School of Business

Pillar of USC Marshall's Leventhal School of Accounting William Robert Smith, 91, who helped establish the elite reputation of USC Marshall’s Leventhal School of Accounting, died on July 8 2009.

Smith taught at USC for 26 years and spearheaded the accounting school's Code of Ethics, which according to Leventhal Dean Randolph Beatty, “We use to this day.” Smith is also remembered as an outstanding teacher and mentor. He was the director of the Smith CPA Review Program at USC from 1982 to 1992. Smith retired from USC in 1997.

"It was an honor working with a man of his integrity, commitment, and seemingly boundless energy and passion," remembered Ruben Davila, a professor of Clinical Accounting at Leventhal. "He was a great asset to our University and one of the pillars that helped build the Leventhal School of Accounting."

Smith received his BA degree in Accounting from Northeastern University (1950) and MBA degree in Accounting from Stanford University (1958). He served as a navigator in the US Air Force, retiring in 1969 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

He was a recipient of the Forbes Gold Medal in 1962, given by the California Society of Certified Public Accountants for the highest scores in the state on the CPA examination.

Among the Leventhal courses Smith taught was Intermediate Accounting, which according to Dean Beatty is "arguably the most important class that a student takes in undergraduate accounting. The class is the first really in-depth treatment of financial accounting and reporting issues that a student experiences. It's the 'make or break' course for an undergraduate. It's my belief that the person or persons that teach this particular class makes the difference in the accounting program's reputation. Since the Leventhal School developed its reputation during Bill's time, it's not too much of a stretch to say that he was instrumental in making the Leventhal School's elite reputation."

Professor Smith was married to Edith d'Entremont Smith for 68 years. He is survived by his children: William of Palos Verdes; Kevin of San Francisco; Gary (class of 1977) of Newport Beach; and Victoria (class of 1979) of Culver City.

His funeral service was July 19 at St. John Fisher Catholic Church in Rancho Palos Verdes.