Locality
Occupation
Biography
As a boy growing up near Hampton’s Langley Research Center, where his mother worked as a mathematician for NASA, Quentin Joseph Smith Jr. dreamed of flying planes. In 1968, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force ROTC. He served with the 360th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron during the Vietnam War and received military awards for valor in combat. Later, Smith worked as an engineer for the Navy at Dahlgren. In 1980, he joined the Federal Aviation Administration, where he helped ensure the safety of civil air transport until his retirement in 2004. Smith served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a pilot with the 512th Military Airlift Wing based at Dover Air Force Base and as commander of the 709th Airlift Squadron before retiring with the rank of Colonel in 1998, having logged more than 8,000 flying hours. Since retirement, Smith has remained active as a consultant on safety regulations and has devoted his time to educating young people about the Tuskegee Airmen—the first black pilots of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, whose determination inspired him while he was the only African American in his pilot training class.
Nominated by Margaret Smith Johnson.
2023 Strong Men and Women in Virginia History honoree, Library of Virginia and Dominion Energy.