Frederick Madison Smith (January 21, 1874 – March 20, 1946) was an American religious leader and author, president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (renamed in 2001 the Community of Christ) from 1915 until his death.

His paternal grandfather was Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his father was Joseph Smith III, the first its "Reorganization."

Frederick Madison Smith was one of nine children of Joseph Smith III and his second wife, Bertha Madison. He was born on Jan 21, 1874, at Plano, Illinois and baptized on July 20, 1883.

Summary of education:

• 1895 educated at Iowa City Academy
• 1896 University of Iowa
• 1898 B.A. from Graceland College — the first graduate of this college
• 1911 M.A. from the University of Kansas
• 1916 Ph.D.
  
  
  
  from Clark University

On August 3, 1897, he married Alice Lyman Cobb (died May 4, 1926).

His father, Joseph Smith III, died on December 10, 1914, leaving the Reorganized Church without a leader. However, the leadership of Frederick Madison Smith was accepted shortly afterwards, and so he became the second president of the church in 1915.

He died in 1946, and was succeeded by his brother, Israel Alexander Smith.

The Frederick Madison Smith Library is one of two libraries belonging to Graceland University, and is located on their Lamoni campus. It opened in 1966.

References

• Paul M. Edwards, The Chief: An Administrative Biography of Fred M. Smith, Herald House: 1988.
• Richard P. Howard, The Church Through the Years, Herald House: 1992.