Rev. Schmitt Becomes Rev. Smith

I have written about Rev. Reuben Valentine Smith before. Rev. RV Smith was the pastor at Zion Lutheran, Chatt, from 1899-1905, his first pastorate after graduating from the ELT Seminary in Columbus in 1899.

Rev. Reuben Valentine Schmitt

In 1955, just before he died, Rev. Smith wrote a narrative about his personal experiences as Zion Chatt’s pastor. In 1955, when he wrote his recollections of the Chatt area, he was Rev. Smith, but when he was the pastor at Zion Chatt, his name was actually Rev. Schmitt. He signed his name as Rev. RV Schmitt on documents he left behind. 

Thanks to a reader who sent me information that Rev. Schmitt legally changed his name from Schmitt to Smith in 1918 and why he did that.

WANTS TO CHANGE NAME
Rev. R.V. Schmitt Says Anything That Hints of German Taint Must Be Done Away with.
Seeking to anglicize his name, the Rev. R.V. Schmitt, 409 Parkview Avenue, Bexley, filed a proceeding in the probate court Wednesday afternoon. He asks that his name be changed to Smith, and his wife, Nora E. Schmitt, makes the same application. “Anything that hints of German strain or taint must be done away with,” said Schmitt, who is an instructor at Capital university. [Columbus Evening Dispatch, Columbus, Ohio, 27 Jun 1918]

Rev. Schmitt name change, Columbus Evening Dispatch, 27 Jun 1918.

During that time, because of WWI, the country was filled with anti-German sentiment, and some people changed the spelling of their German surname to a more American-sounding name. Schmitt actually gave this as his reason for changing the spelling of his name.

Rev. Schmitt served at Zion, Chattanooga, from 1899-1905 and at Marion, Indiana, 1905-1906. After that, from 1906-1955, he was a college professor and Dean of Classic Language at Capital University. He had fifty years of uninterrupted teaching, missing only two days of classes during those years.

Rev. Schmitt returned to Zion Chatt in 1916 for the dedication of the new church’s cornerstone.

Cornerstone dedication, 1916. Rev. R.V. Schmitt, Rev. W.H.F. Heuer, Rev. B.F. Brandt.

Rev. RV Smith’s obituary:

Rev. RV Smith obituary, Columbus Evening Dispatch, 18 Nov 1955

Death Takes R.V. Smith, Capital Dean
Reuben V. Smith, 78, dean emeritus of the College of Arts and Sciences at Capital University and in his 50^th year of teaching on the university staff, died Friday morning at his home, 409 S. Parkview Avenue.

Prof. Smith, who joined the faculty at Capital in 1906, served as dean from 1923 until 1947 and was continuing to teach classical languages there.

A native of Columbus, he had attended the old Central High School here and was a graduate of the Capital University Seminary and the University of Michigan graduate school.

He had served in various Ohio ministries before joining the Capital staff.

Considered a guiding spirit in associations of classical languages in this area, he had been active in the American Philological Association, the Ohio Classical conference and was a past president of the Columbus Latin Club. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church.

He was a faculty representative in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

Surviving Prof. Smith are his wife, Nora Mangold Smith; a sister, Mrs. Charles Bash, Columbus; and a nephew.

Service will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Christ Lutheran Church with burial in Green Lawn Cemetery by Schoedinger funeral home, 229 E. State St.  [Columbus Evening Dispatch, Columbus, Ohio, 18 Nov 1955]

Rev. Schmitt was also the teacher for Zion Chatt’s Christian Summer School during his time at Chatt.

Zion Lutheran School, Chattanooga, Ohio (c1904)

The narrative he wrote in 1955 is a very interesting first-hand account of what life was like in this area around the turn of the century. He mentioned the muddy roads several times.

His recollections are worth reading and can be found in two blog posts: Recollections of Chattanooga, Ohio and Recollections of Chattanooga, Ohio, Part 2.