Francis Hopkinson Smith (October 23, 1838 – April 7, 1915) was an American author, artist and engineer.

He built the foundation for the Statue of Liberty, wrote many stories and received awards for his paintings.

Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland on October 23, 1838, a descendant of Francis Hopkinson, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

[2] He graduated from the Boys' Latin School of Maryland and argued against African-American suffrage, saying in 1914 that the solution to race problems would be return of plantation ways.

[7] He illustrated and published numerous travelogues, including: His novels and short stories are especially felicitous in their portrayal of the Old South.