SMITH, Samuel Francis, clergyman, born in Boston, Massachusetts, 21 October, 1808. He attended the Boston Latin-school in 1820-'5, and was graduated at Harvard in 1829 and at Andover theological seminary in 1832. He was ordained to the ministry of the Baptist church at Waterville, Maine, in 1834, occupied pastorates at Waterville in 1834-'42, and Newton, Massachusetts, in 1842-'54, and was professor of modern languages in Waterville college (now Colby university) while residing in that city. He was editor of "The Christian Review" in Boston in 1842-'8, and editor of the various publications of the Baptist missionary union in 1854-'69. In 1875-'6 and 1880-'2 he visited the chief missionary stations in Europe and Asia. He received the degree of D. D. from Waterville college in 1854. Dr. Smith has done a large amount of literary work, mainly in the line of hymnology, his most noted composition being the national hymn, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," which was written while he was a theological student and first sung at a children's celebration in the Park street church, Boston, 4 July, 1832. The missionary hymn, " The Morning Light is Breaking," was written at the same place and time. He translated from the German most of the pieces in the "Juvenile Lyre" (Boston, 1832), and from the "Conversations-Lexicon" nearly enough articles to fill an entire volume of the " Encyclopaedia Americana" (1828-'32). His collections of original hymns and poetry and poetical translations have been published under the titles of " Lyric Gems " (Boston, 1843) : "The Psalmist," a noted Baptist hymn-book (1843); and "Rock of Ages" (1866; new ed., 1877). He has also published a "Life of Reverend Joseph Grafton" (1848); " Missionary Sketches" (1879 ; 2d ed., 1883) ; "History of Newton, Massachusetts" (1880); "Rambles in Mission-Fields" (1884); and contributions to numerous periodicals. His classmate, Oliver Wendell Holmes, in his reunion poem entitled " The Boys," thus refers to him: " And there's a nice youngster of excellent pith ; Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith ! But he chanted a song for the brave and the free--Just read on his medal, ' My country, of thee!'"