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1870 - 1961
Class of 1976
Contributor to the Sport
Louis Smith is credited with being the single-most important officer in the first 100 years of the National Archery Association by a noted archery historian.
Smith was one of the strong links in the chain that kept the National Archery Association alive through the early years. He not only kept the Association alive he started many new programs to bring thousands of new archers in the Association; and he did this through the great depression of the 1930s and the Second World War. Smith was one of those to be enticed by the enthusiasm of Burton Payne Gray of Newton into the clutching folds of archery when the Newton Archers was organized in the spring of 1911. Archers from all over the State journeyed to Newton
for years, as it was the only club – and from its ranks most of the clubs in the State eventually sprang.
During 1915-1924, to increase interest in the planned program of weekly shoots, Louis  Smith sent out a weekly mimeograph sheet giving the results of the weekly competition. The success of the members of the Newton Archers became increasingly impressive and rivalries between archers from other states made it logical that the scores, between National Tournaments, should be tabulated. This led to Louis Smith’s publishing the printed report called “The Bulletin of the National Archery Association”. It was started in May 1924 and continued through August 1948. The mailing list grew to approximately 400 copies. This bulletin did much to stimulate archery.
In 1926, Smith traveled to California and through him archers from the West were encouraged to journey the East to attend the 1928 tournament. Then in 1929, he succeeded in establishing a plan for rotating these tournaments within the three regions of the United States.
Notes of Interest
Organized Newton, Massachusetts, Archers in the spring of 1911; Served as First Secretary for Many Years.
Secretary/Treasurer, National Archery Association, 1919 thru 1946
Recipient NAA’s Thompson Award, 1940
Headed the National Archery Association’s Inter-Collegiate Telegraphic Mail Matches for 21 years
Father of Dorothy Smith Cummings, Archery Hall of Fame Inductee, 1974
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