William A. Smith graduated from Iowa State College (University) with a B.S. (1912) in forestry. Following graduation, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service. This scrapbook contains photographs depicting Smith's college years and his work with the U.S. Forest Service.

William A. Smith graduated from Iowa State College (University) with a B.S. (1912) in forestry. During his time at Iowa State, William "Bill" Smith was a celebrated athlete. In high school, he was on the basketball team that won the Northern Iowa Championship in 1908. He also played on the football squad at Iowa State and excelled at the discus throw and other track and field events.

From 1912-1917 Bill served with the U.S. Forestry Service in Idaho. During this time he published an article for the 1913 Ames Forester entitled "A Timber Sale Project on the Payette River, Idaho." Following his time in Idaho, Bill was employed by the Canning Mill in Ogden, Utah, as there was a diverse fruit and vegetable canning industry in Utah at this time. In 1930, Bill took a position at the Whittier State School, a reform school for boys, in California. He continued his work there until 1936.

His last position held was the Field Secretary of the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in the Hall of Records. He passed away in 1960.

This scrapbook (1909-1914, 2013) includes handwritten notes, an article authored by Smith, photographs, and a Forest Service badge from 1912. The photographs depict forestry classes at Iowa State, places where Smith worked, U.S. Forest Service projects that Smith worked on, as well as campsites, crews, trail building, timber estimations, and other aspects of camp life. The locations of many of these worksites were primarily in Idaho, specifically in the Sawtooth Range, along the South and Middle Forks of the Payette River, and in the Payette Forest. Other locations included the Uinta Mountains of Utah and locations in California. The collection also contains biographical information on Smith compiled by Sue Blodgett, Chair of Iowa State's Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, in 2013.