Barbour County, West Virginia          Biography of WINFIELD SCOTT SMITH, M. D.

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 283
Barbour County

WINFIELD SCOTT SMITH, M. D. Graduated from medical
college in 1899, Doctor Smith has been a busy practitioner
ever since, chiefly in the community where he was born
and reared, Philippi. While in general practice, his suc-
cess as a surgeon has attracted attention. Doctor Smith
represents through his father and mother two of the old
and prominent families of West Virginia. He is a son
of J. R. Williamson Smith, whose record is given separately,
and Celia A. (Wilson) Smith, of the well known and his-
toric Wilson family.

Doctor Smith was born on the Philippi townsite, where
the Methodist Church now stands, September. 7, 1873. As
he grew to manhood he attended the public schools, worked
during vacations on the farm, and had plenty of physical
training to supplement the intellectual processes of school.
After completing his work in the Philippi schools he passed
the teachers examination, and for three terms had charge
of a country school as teacher.

In the meantime he had definitely determined upon medi-
cine as his life work, and he pursued the study in the
Medical College of Virginia at Richmond, where he was
graduated in 1899.  Thus qualified for practice, he re-
turned to his birthplace and opened an office at Philippi.
His continuous practice here was interrupted in 1908 when
he removed to Huntington, and was a physician in that
city for seven years. For five years of that period he was
associated with Dr. E. E. Vickers, one of the ablest surgeons
of the state. For the past seven years Doctor Smith has
resumed his post of professional duty in Philippi. He is
a member of the Tri-county Medical Society, including
Randolph, Tucker and Barbour counties.

Doctor Smith is a member of the Kiwanis Club, the
Elks, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows, has for a num-
ber of years been public school physician at Philippi. In
politics he is an uncompromising democrat, having cast
his first vote for Mr. Bryan in 1900. He served one term
as city health officer of Philippi.

By his first marriage he has a daughter, Beatrice, who
was educated in Marshall College at Huntington and Broad-
dus College, and is now a teacher of Elkins. On March
4, 1915, at Huntington, Doctor Smith married Dei Gratia
McWilliams. Her father, R. W. McWilliams, was one of
the best known men in the public life of Cabell County,
serving as circuit clerk for eighteen years. He was born
at Grafton, was orphaned in childhood, was crippled by
the railroad at Grafton while driving the village ears, and
in spite of these two handicaps secured a liberal education
and became a successful man, few citizens giving a better
account of themselves in the community. Mrs. Smith is
one of a family of four sons and four daughters, and she
completed her education in the Huntington High School
before going to college.