The Handbook of Texas reported that an uncle encouraged Smith to read at an early age, and that the boy developed an interest in the works of Rudyard Kipling, Robert L. Stevenson and Mark Twain.
"[1] At the same time, his editorial work almost proved to be the end of his promising academic career: in 1932, Smith wrote the preface to William Faulkner's short story "Miss Zilphia Gant" and published it through the Book Club of Texas.
He received his PhD in 1940 and returned to teaching at SMU, where he developed a new program, "History of American Civilization."
"[5] Though Smith did not formally leave the University of Texas until 1947, he departed Austin in 1945 for a temporary teaching position at Harvard.
Smith accepted a position as professor of English at the University of Minnesota in 1947, where he joined the American Studies program.
A decade after he moved to Berkeley, Smith immersed himself in a series of political actions, including the Free Speech movement and the anti-Vietnam war protests.
Published in 1950, the book gave its name to the Myth and Symbol School, and became a foundational text for the interdisciplinary field of American Studies.