Posted on 11/18/2019
Roy C. Smith
The New York University Stern School of Business and its Finance faculty mourn the death of our esteemed colleague and friend, Roy C. Smith, Emeritus Professor of Management Practice, on Friday, November 15, 2019. The cause of death was brain cancer. Roy joined the School's faculty in 1987. He was the Kenneth Langone Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance for 18 years prior to his retirement in 2017. Roy was an intellectual leader at Stern for three decades. He was a prolific author, a gifted teacher, and one of the most quoted academic sources and op-ed authors on current financial events. His deep knowledge was invaluable to all faculty undertaking research in financial markets and institutions. His expertise spanned international banking and capital markets, entrepreneurial finance and institutional investment practice, professional conduct, and business ethics. Roy was beloved by colleagues and generations of NYU Stern students and alumni for his unique ability and commitment to bridge industry expertise with academic distinction, drawing upon his previous distinguished career at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Prior to joining Stern, Roy was a longtime senior executive at Goldman Sachs, enjoying a 20-year career with the firm. He rose to the position of general partner, and eventually senior international partner and president of Goldman Sachs International, while resident in the firm's London office in the 1980s. He remained a limited partner at the firm until its public offering in 1999. He served as a director of public corporations in the US and the UK, and was a founding partner of a London-based financial services consulting company. Roy was a graduate of the US Naval Academy (BS 1960) and Harvard University (MBA 1966). He is survived by his wife, Marianne Fowler Smith, his brother Doug, three children, and ten grandchildren. The impact and value of Roy's lifetime contributions to Stern and to the field cannot be overstated. We extend our deepest sympathies to Roy's family and loved ones.
Published in The New York Times on Nov. 18, 2019