Oliver R. Smoot
Encyclopedia
Oliver Reed Smoot, Jr. was Chairman of the American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) from 2001 to 2002 and President of the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO
) from 2003 to 2004. He received his Bachelor of Science
from MIT and his Juris Doctor
(law degree) from Georgetown University
.
marks on the Harvard Bridge
, where he was used as a unit of measure for measuring the length of the bridge, as part of a fraternity pledging prank.
Smoot gave a speech to a hearing of the House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Technology on March 20, 2000, entitled “The Role of Technical Standards in Today's Society and in the Future".
He returned to MIT on October 4, 2008 for a 50th anniversary celebration, including the installation of a plaque on the bridge. Smoot was also presented with an official unit of measurement: a smoot stick.
American National Standards Institute
The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
(ANSI) from 2001 to 2002 and President of the International Organization for Standardization
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
(ISO
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
) from 2003 to 2004. He received his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from MIT and his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(law degree) from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
Biography
Smoot, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, graduated from MIT with the class of 1962. He is primarily known in Boston, Massachusetts for the smootSmoot
The smoot is a nonstandard unit of length created as part of an MIT fraternity prank. It is named after Oliver R. Smoot, a fraternity pledge to Lambda Chi Alpha, who in October 1958 lay on the Harvard Bridge , and was used by his fraternity brothers to measure the length of the bridge.-Unit...
marks on the Harvard Bridge
Harvard Bridge
The Harvard Bridge carries Massachusetts Avenue from Back Bay, Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is the longest bridge over the Charles River....
, where he was used as a unit of measure for measuring the length of the bridge, as part of a fraternity pledging prank.
Smoot gave a speech to a hearing of the House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Technology on March 20, 2000, entitled “The Role of Technical Standards in Today's Society and in the Future".
He returned to MIT on October 4, 2008 for a 50th anniversary celebration, including the installation of a plaque on the bridge. Smoot was also presented with an official unit of measurement: a smoot stick.
Sources
- Biography by ANSI
- Speech for the House
- NPR Interview on December 7, 2005, on the occasion of his retirement.
- MIT tribute page - he was featured on MIT's daily-changing home page on December 19, 2005
- Tavernor, Robert (2007), Smoot's Ear: The Measure of Humanity, http://www.yalebooks.co.uk/yale/display.asp?K=9780300124927&search_text=tavernor&sort=SORT_DATE/D&search_field=KEYWORD&m=1&dc=2