Gorman Curtis Smith Major General, United States Army

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Gorman C. Smith
Born September 24, 1928– Died August 25, 1988

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Major General Gorman Curtis Smith, USAR-Ret., former Federal Energy Administration and Atomic Energy Commission official, and Energy industry executive, died on 25 August 1998 at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Southern Maryland. He had Alzheimer’s Disease. He was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy (1951) and of Columbia University with an MA and PhD in Economics.

General’s Smith’s active Army career began upon being commissioned in the Infantry in 1951. In April 1953 in Korea, his leadership, planning and personal actions provided major contributions to the successful outcome of the Battle of Pork Chop Hill.

In 1956, after graduate school, he was assigned as Asst. Professor of Economics to the Dept of Social Studies at USMA. Later he received his PhD. and graduated from the Army’s Command and Staff College.

Subsequent assignments included battalion commander of the 2nd Bn, 504th Abn. Inf. Regt of the 82nd Abn. Div. which became engaged in contingency operations in the Dominican Republic and reassignment to the Office of the Asst Sec of Def (M&RA).

In 1969 he resigned his commission in the Army to enter the business world, but he continued his service as a Col, US Army Reserve. Subsequent military assignments included Dep Cmdr US Reserve Command, Fort Meade, Commander 220th Mil Police Brigade, Dep Dir, Office of Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel HQ, Dept of the Army and DCG (Mobilization Designee) of HQ TRADOC.

He retired as Major General, US Army Reserve, on 30 Sep 1988.

Combat awards and decorations included the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Star Medals with Valor and 2 Purple Hearts.

His civilian pursuits included Dir and VP of Information Concepts; Exec Asst to the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission; Asst Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration (during the Ford Administration).

In 1977 he joined Transco Energy Co. in Houston as VP corporate planning and was appointed Pres & CEO for Transco Coal Gas Co, and Pres, Transco Synfuels Co. and Transco Peat Methanol Co. In 1985, Mr. Smith returned to Washington to become Exec Dir of US Energy.

Survivors include his wife of 27 years, the former Mary James Weathersbee; two children from his first marriage to Catherine Sirmeyer: Glen A. Smith of Houston and Sharon Polifrone of Elburn, IL; a step-son H.B. Weathersbee, Jr. and three step-grandchildren of Sumter, S.C. Two brothers: Shofner Smith of Oklahoma City and Maj Gen (Ret) Foster Lee Smith of Alexandria, VA also survive him.

Mary Smith resides in Cabin John, MD.

Jose Andres Chacon, Cullum 18250

From a contemporary press report:

Gorman Curtis Smith, 69, a retired major general in the Army Reserve and former assistant administrator of the Federal Energy Administration, died August 25, 1998 in Charlotte Hall at the Charlotte Hall Veterans’ Home, where he had spent the last four years. He had Alzheimer’s disease.

General Smith received an infantry commission in 1951 and served in Korea during the Korean War. During that conflict, he participated in the fight for Pork Chop Hill and received the Silver Star, two awards of the Bronze Star with combat “V” for valor, and two awards of the Purple Heart.

After the war, assignments included tours at the Pentagon, as an economics professor at West Point, and as a battalion commander in the 82nd Airborne Division. He retired from active duty as a colonel in 1969 and from the Army Reserve as a major general in 1988.

After retiring from active duty, he became a director and vice president of the Information Concepts research concern in Washington before joining the government in 1972 as executive assistant to the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. He left the government as FEA assistant administrator in 1977.

After that, he worked for Transco Energy Co. in Houston as a vice president, becoming president and chief executive officer of its coal gas subsidiary and then president of both its synfuels and methanol companies. He returned to Washington in 1985 as executive director of U.S. Energy Corp., from which he retired in 1988.

General Smith, a former Arlington and Springfield resident, was living in Cabin John before entering Charlotte Hall.

He was a native of Durant, Oklahoma, and a 1951 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He received master’s and doctoral degrees from Columbia University and also graduated from the Army Command and Staff College.

His marriage to Catherine Smith ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife of 27 years, the former Mary James Weathersbee; two children from his first marriage, Glen A. Smith of Houston and Sharon Polifrone of Elburn, Ill.; a stepson, H.B. Weathersbee Jr. of Sumter, S.C.; two brothers, Shofner Smith of Oklahoma City and retired Army Maj. Gen. Foster Lee Smith of Alexandria; and three stepgrandchildren.

SMITH, GORMAN C., MAJ GEN, USA (Ret.)

On Tuesday, August 25, 1998, at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Charlotte Hall, MD, MAJOR GENERAL GORMAN C. SMITH, USA (ret.), of Cabin John, MD, beloved husband of Mary James Smith; beloved father of Glen A. Smith of Houston, TX and Sharon Smith Polifrone of Elburn, IL; stepfather of H.B. Weathersbee, Jr. of Sumter, SC; brother of Shofner Smith of Oklahoma City, OK and Foster Lee Smith of Alexandria, VA. He is also survived by three stepgrandchildren. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, September 3 at Fort Myer Chapel at 9 a.m. Interment to follow in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 10201 Lee Highway, Suite 210, Fairfax, VA 22030.

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