Smith became a teacher at a young age before eventually attending Eastman National Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York where he graduated first in his class and went on to earn a master's degree at Columbia College.
His wife Elizabeth Smith began cooking and selling popular noodles to neighbors, and eventually this became the main income source for the family of twelve.
[2] Smith wanted his children to be educated in the Brethren in Christ tradition.
No such schools existed at that time, so starting in 1907 Smith sought church backing and eventually became the founding president of Messiah Bible School and Missionary Training Home in 1909, which admitted students regardless of their race, sex, or creed and was intended to prepare students for lives of Christian service.
[2] In 1911, due to overcrowding, Smith decided to move the campus to Grantham where there could be agricultural training and a more rural atmosphere, and Smith donated his land of five acres for the college, which included Old Main and several other original campus buildings.