Howard Smith

American architect Howard Smith was best known for the design of the Ohio Stadium, home to The Ohio State University football team. His work earned him the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Public Building Design.

Smith graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Civil Engineering in Architecture, and after studying architecture in Columbia, joined the firm of John Russell Pope. His initial projects for Pope included the Vanderbilt mansion and Henry Clay Frick’s New York Fifth Avenue mansion. He served as a professor of architecture at OSU from 1918-21, and later as University Architect from 1929-56. Smith designed over 30 buildings on campus including Hughes Hall, Alpheus W. Smith Laboratory, St. John’s Arena, and an expansion for the William Oxley Thomspon Memorial Library.

The Physical Education Building with the University’s swimming pool was built in two sections, in 1931 and 1940. It was expanded in 1958 and 1977, respectively. Since the 1970s, the complex has been renamed Richard C Larkins Hall to honor Dick Larkins (1909-77), who played football for Ohio State and later appointed professor of physical education. In 2005, the reinforced concrete building with brick facade was demolished to make room for a new building. The horseshoe-shaped Ohio Stadium was built in 1921-22 for 66,000 spectators. Today it is one of the largest stadiums in the world, accommodating more than 100,000 spectators. Against the previously frequent floods, the building was protected by a slotted wall. A special feature of the concrete stadium is the overhanging upper deck.