Eugene Allen Smith was a professor of chemistry and mineralogy at the University of Alabama. As state geologist he was tasked with traveling throughout the state to document its resources. His resulting reports led to the growth of multiple industries. He also collected specimens and artifacts in the hopes of one day setting up a natural history museum. The Alabama Museum of Natural History is located in Smith Hall at the University of Alabama campus.
Photos courtesy of: Alabama Mosaic – Alabama Department of Archives and History, Alabama Mosaic – University of Alabama Libraries Division of Special Collections, Alamy