Although he did not attend or teach at Brigham Young High School, and in fact captained the Springville High School basketball team that defeated the BY High team for the State Championship in 1952, all BY High alumni, faculty and friends today honor Dr. L. Douglas Smoot for the central role he played in the "Miracle at Academy Square". There is no doubt that, without his leadership and the thousands of hours of service that he devoted to the cause, the historic Brigham Young Academy building would now be gone forever.

By Luciana Loureiro
BYU News Net writer
April 18, 2006

Professor L. Douglas Smoot, who has been teaching at BYU for 38 years, is officially retiring from BYU after this semester ends. Smoot taught religion classes during his last semester at BYU.

Coming to BYU on a basketball scholarship and enrolling in the school's first class of chemical engineering, L. Douglas Smoot did not then know the path of his future career.

"I always loved to study," he said. "I loved science and math. I've always liked to do things well, but I had no idea how things would flow."

Beginning as a BYU assistant professor, Smoot became department chair and was the dean of the engineering department for nearly 17 years.

Smoot spent nearly 54 years of his life associated with BYU - 38 of those years teaching.

With a smile and no regrets, Smoot officially retires from BYU after this semester. At age 71, he will be cleaning out his office and beginning a new chapter of his life.

"I walk away freely without reservations," Smoot said. "There is plenty to do; I will just do something else."

Smoot is a senior consultant and taught religion classes during his last semester at BYU.

Michelle Heit, one of his students, said she enjoyed taking his class.

"He has a really great testimony and a really great knowledge about the church and the gospel," she said. "He is so awesome; I'm glad that I chose his class."

Smoot accomplished many things in his years at BYU, from writing books to teaching to conducting academic research.

His wife, Marian, has always been impressed with his work ethic, organization and energy.

"He is a very ambitious and intelligent man and has been since day one," she said. "He is always learning; he is so smart."

As a highlight of his career, he was able to participate in a research competition that started in 1985. All universities in the United States had the opportunity to develop a proposal in any subject in the engineering field.

Among the 105 universities, only five would receive grants to develop a new center. Smoot was the proposal director, and the proposal, which focused on fossil fuel, earned a grant that led to BYU's Advanced Combustion Engineering Research Center.

"I led that [the center] for 12 years," he said. "We became one of the largest academic centers in the world on BYU campus."

Another important event of his life was being the leader most responsible for successful reconstruction of the historic Education Building, which today is the Provo City Library, centerpiece of Academy Square.

Smoot said three reasons motivated him to preserve the building: his great grandfather Abraham O. Smoot was on the first board of trustees for the building, he was born in Provo, and he loved to affiliate with the university.

"It can be done," he said before the project was begun. "It will make a first-class library and will cost about $25 million, which we will have to raise."

The building, not used after 1968, was in terrible condition. The city wanted to destroy it. Smoot got involved with the project in 1995.

Spending more than 8,000 hours of his time, Smoot and others were able to preserve the building. It was dedicated three days before Sept. 11.

Smoot wrote the book, "The Miracle at Academy Square" to document the miracles that happened within the six years of hard work.

"I wrote a lot of books, and I did a lot of things, but this is one of the most difficult things I did in my life," he said.

Smoot not only prospered in his career but also had great success in his personal and spiritual life.

Family plays an important role in his life. He has four daughters, 16 grandchildren, three great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter.

"We are a happy family, I can say that," his wife said. "I feel truly blessed."

Austin Hyde, Smoot's grandson, said his grandpa is a caring person.

"He treats everyone with the same respect and love," he said.

Hyde said he is involved with everything and the community.

"He [Smoot] had a wonderful career at BYU and he won't be forgotten soon," he said.

From China to Alaska and Mexico, the Smoots have enjoyed big family trips. They've been all over the world, his wife said.

"Family and church are the most important to me," Smoot said. "I had a greatly blessed life ... so many challenges and opportunities."

When it comes to church callings, Smoot has been a faithful servant of the Lord.

With more than 28 consecutive years of serving without one break between them, he has served as bishop, stake president and a member of the Quorum of Seventy, among others.

"I grew up in an inactive family," he said. "However, I had these great roots [Abraham Smoot]. I was always active, and I loved the church."

Nearing the end of semester, Smoot said he will miss being on BYU campus.

"You can always come back, but it is not the same," he said. "Watching the university grow and becoming more recognized and more established is one the most important things to me."

L. Douglas Smoot, our wonderful father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones on January 13, 2020. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 63 years, Marian Bird Smoot. He is survived by his sister, Beth Johnson, four daughters, Analee (Scott) Folster, LaCinda (John) Lewis, Michelle (Nathan) Hyde, and Mindy (Conor) Robbins, and his 20 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. Doug’s faith framed his life’s choices and experiences. He was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved serving the members in the Oak Hills area as a Bishop and Stake President, and then an Area Seventy in the Fifth Quorum for the Utah South Area.

Doug was born in Provo, Utah on July 26, 1934 to Douglas and Jennie Smoot. His parents moved the family to the neighboring town of Springville with his two older sisters, Norma (Bills) and Beth (Johnson). An individual with a keen intellect and wisdom to match, Doug was known for his dedication, determination, and diligence in all endeavors. He met Marian in 3rd grade; they dated while attending Springville High, were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on September 15, 1953, and began their family and pursued their education.

Doug earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from BYU while playing tennis and basketball for the “Y.” He continued on to earn a master’s degree and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington in 1958 and 1960, respectively. Doug began his Chemical Engineering career at BYU and then moved his family to Redlands, California where he worked for Lockheed Propulsion Company and taught part-time at the California Institute of Technology. The family eventually moved back to Provo, Utah where Doug became the Chairman of the Chemical Engineering Department and then served as the Dean of Engineering and Technology for 17 years prior to his retirement. He also greatly enjoyed teaching religion classes at BYU. Collaboration with stellar students and wonderful colleagues brought Doug great enjoyment.

While at BYU, he founded and directed ACERC—one of the world’s largest academic research centers to advance combustion engineering technology. Since 1968, Doug served as Principal Investigator or Project Director on 40 grants and contracts totaling over 20 million dollars from 22 industrial and governmental agencies. He was given the distinguished Homer H. Lowry Award, the International ASME Percy Nichols Award, the Governor’s Medal for Science & Technology, and Distinguished Faculty and Lecturer and the Presidential Award from BYU.

Doug was internationally recognized as one of the premier authorities in the field of Combustion Engineering and clean burning fuels. He authored over 200 technical articles and four books on fossil fuels, coal gasification, and clean burning fuels. Doug is a patent holder and co-founded Combustion Resources, a private research and consulting company. He also served an appointed term for US Senate’s office of Technology Assessment.

Doug’s community service included a term on the Governor’s Science Advisory Council, many years on Provo City’s Economic Development Board, Provo’s Energy Department Board, Tuacahn’s Board of Directors, and America’s Freedom Festival Advisory Board. He has written or co-authored books on Abraham O. Smoot, the History of BYU Chemical Engineering, and the preservation of the historic BY Academy building titled, The Miracle at Academy Square.

In 1995, Doug assumed the leadership of a team of passionate citizens and government officials to preserve the BY Academy—a building that was constructed with the funds of his great-grandfather A.O. Smoot. It is now the Provo City Library at Academy Square.

This giant of a father, with Marian at his side, placed their family as their highest priority. He was loved by four-generations of family members. He was known for his faith, enthusiasm, kindness, determination, generosity, humor, love, optimism, and support of their many endeavors. Though he wore many hats, his cowboy hat may have been his favorite. He loved his six horses, his Mapleton farmland, and Olson Ranch rides with his friends and family. Doug taught by word and deed and left a legacy of love and learning for generations to come.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at the Oak Hills Stake Center, 925 East North Temple Drive, Provo, Utah. Friends may visit with the family at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center Street, Monday, January 20 from 6-8:00 p.m. and at the church Tuesday from 9-10:30 a.m. prior to services. Interment, Provo City Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed at www.bergmortuary.com.

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