Remembering Hamilton O. Smith

Remembering Hamilton O. Smith

Hamilton O. Smith
August 31, 1931 - October 25, 2025

It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Hamilton O. Smith, M.D., a scientific giant, compassionate mentor, and beloved by all who had the honor of knowing him. Ham was humble, gentle, and brilliant. He died peacefully at home in Ellicott City, Maryland on October 25, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking contributions to science, and a life rich in love, discovery, and service. Ham had a large and active family that included his wife Liz, five children, 12 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren. His wife and one son preceded him in death.

Ham's death comes on the heels of the death of his close friend and colleague, Clyde Hutchison. Their friendship was memorialized in a Scientist Spotlight following the announcement of the construction of the first bacterium with a synthetic genome in 2010. In a recent blog post, Ham's key role in the early days of the Institute, shotgun sequencing, and the human genome were captured.

Following are a few pictures of Ham over the years.

Hamilton Smith and Daniel Nathans at a press conference following the receipt of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1978 for the discovery of type II restriction enzymes along (the third recipient, Werner Arber is not shown). The Celera Genomics team: Mark Adams, Hamilton Smith, Gene Myers, and Craig Venter in 2000 announcing the completion of the first draft sequence of the human genome. Clyde Hutchison and Hamilton Smith at JCVI's Rockville Campus in 2007 as they worked towards building the first free living organism with a synthetic genome. JCVI synthetic biology team, including Hamilton Smith, in 2007 at JCVI Rockville. Craig Venter and Hamilton Smith at JCVI San Diego in 2010. Members of the JCVI minimal cell team: Craig Venter, Hamilton Smith, Daniel Gibson, Lije Sun, John Glass, Krishna Kannan (from Synthetic Genomics, Inc.), John Gill, and Clyde Hutchison at JCVI's La Jolla campus in 2016.