Ralph Smith '26
Date of birth: October 11, 1905
Date of death: May 21, 1941
Age: 35
Lucky Bag
From the 1926 Lucky Bag:
Ralph Dempcy Smith
Elkins, West Virginia
"Ralph D." "Smitty" "Zeke"
RALPH, the fellow that would drag blind. When another fellow needed a friend for a week-end he knew the place to come and find one. Smitty would never tell whether or not he had been bricked but we found out every once in a while by going over to the hop.
He used to do his share of worrying about marks. Everyday we would hear, "I bet you that I hit the tree this week in Math." But when the weekly trees were posted his name was seldom found among the chosen few. Then when the monthly averages came up he usually had above a 3.0.
When the call was given for the candidates for Lacrosse manager one of the first to go out was Ralph and he stuck to it and followed the team every day. He lost more weight running back from drill and getting ready for lacrosse than he lost in the fireroom Youngster Cruise.
Just after he returned from Youngster September Leave his favorite Sunday afternoon pastime was to hunt up Plebes and show them his new Elgin watch. Ralph proved himself a shrewd fellow Second Class year. He stayed on the Sub-squad until he could get big odds, and won enough to buy a farm when he finally passed the test.
"I don't see how any lacrosse team in the country could score on us."
Lacrosse Squad, Assistant Manager (3, 2); Lucky Bag.
Loss
From Abilene Reporter-News of Abilene, Texas on May 23, 1941:
WASHINGTON. May 23. The navy reported today the death of Lt. Ralph Dempsey Smith and Chief Radioman Clarence Widner Allen in the crash of a naval plane piloted by Smith. The plane came down in the waters of Pearl Harbor. Hawaii. Both men were attached to the aircraft carrier Enterprise. Allen is survived by his widow, Mrs. Nellie May Allen, San Diego, and his father, C. E. Allen, Mabanks, Tex.
Ralph had only been at Hawaii for two weeks, according to another report. He was survived by his wife, Marie, and two children, Ralph Jr. and Susanne; they were in San Diego at the time.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. It's possible that he was commanding officer of Scouting Squadron (VS) 6, though he is not listed as such in the 1941 Navy Directory. His headstone gives his rank as LCDR, but all other reports and records are that he was a Lieutenant.
Class of 1926
Ralph is one of 36 members of the Class of 1926 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
