Charles Emil Smith (né Schmidoff; March 28, 1901 – December 30, 1995)[1][2] was a real estate developer and philanthropist in the Washington metropolitan area.
[1] In 1942, due to an insatiable demand for housing during World War II, Smith moved to Rockville, Maryland.
[5] With financing from a friend,[1] Smith built 50 houses in Prince George's County, Maryland, but lost money on the development after costs soared.
[1][5] He then changed focus to developing income-producing apartment properties in Washington, D.C. for long-term investments, taking advantage of low-cost government financing.
[5] In 1961, at the suggestion of his son, Robert H. Smith, the company began developing in Crystal City, Virginia, which at the time was a "conglomeration of places that sold junk, used tires, a drive-in movie theater, a run-down ice skating rink, second-hand materials -- it was very unattractive.
[8][9] He played a key role in developing GW's branch campus in Loudoun County, Virginia.