Life is usually measured in years, but for Richard A. Smith—the man who basically invented the modern way we watch movies and shop—it’s measured in impact. He died at 95 back in 2020. You might wonder why people are still searching for a richard a smith obituary today. Honestly, it’s because his fingerprints are all over the things we use every single day.
He wasn't just some guy in a suit. He was the force behind General Cinema, Neiman Marcus, and the massive Harcourt General publishing empire. If you've ever sat in a cushioned seat at a mall movie theater, you're living in a world he built.
The Man Who Put Movies in Malls
Back in the late 40s and 50s, if you wanted to see a movie, you went downtown. It was an event. But Richard’s father, Philip, had this weird idea about drive-ins. When Richard took over General Drive-In (which later became General Cinema Corporation), he pivoted hard.
He saw the suburbs growing. He saw malls popping up like mushrooms. He thought, "Why not put the theater inside the shopping center?" It sounds obvious now, right? At the time, it was revolutionary. By the time he was done, he had built the largest theater chain in the country. He didn't just follow trends; he forced the industry to change how it thought about "convenience."
The Neiman Marcus and Harcourt Era
Business is risky. Richard Smith knew that better than anyone. He realized early on that the theater business was fickle—dependent on whether Hollywood made a good movie that year. So, he diversified.
📖 Related: TCPA Shadow Creek Ranch: What Homeowners and Marketers Keep Missing
He bought into bottling plants (Pepsi) and then made a massive move for a 60% stake in Neiman Marcus in the 80s. Imagine a guy who runs popcorn stands suddenly owning the crown jewel of luxury retail. Then he bought Harcourt Brace Jovanovich for $1.4 billion.
He had this uncanny sense of timing. He’d buy a business when it was struggling, fix the foundation, and then—years later—sell it for a fortune. He sold the beverage business in '89, General Cinema in 2000, and Neiman’s in 2005. The man was a master of the "long game."
A Legacy of "Quiet" Power
You won't find Richard Smith’s name plastered on skyscrapers in neon lights, and that was on purpose. He was sort of the opposite of the "loud" CEOs we see today. He was a Harvard man (class of '46), and he cared deeply about Boston.
If you walk through Harvard's campus today, you'll see the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center. It’s a massive, bustling hub. That’s him. He didn’t just give money; he served on the Harvard Corporation for a decade. He was the guy people called when they needed a "steady hand" to guide an institution.
👉 See also: Starting Pay for Target: What Most People Get Wrong
His philanthropy wasn't just about writing checks, either. He was involved with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for over 50 years. He genuinely believed that biomedical research could change the world. He lived to see a lot of that happen.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often confuse the different "Richard Smiths" in the public record. When searching for a richard a smith obituary, you might find several Allen Smiths or Anthony Smiths. But the Richard Alan Smith—the Boston titan—is defined by a specific brand of ethical capitalism.
He was featured in the book The Outsiders by William Thorndike. Why? Because he was one of the few CEOs who actually outperformed the S&P 500 consistently over decades. He didn't care about quarterly earnings calls. He cared about where the company would be in twenty years.
He survived his wife, Susan, by about four years. They were married for 63 years. That’s the kind of stability he brought to everything—his family, his business, and his city.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Old Spice Deodorant Advert Still Wins Over a Decade Later
Why We Still Talk About Him
We talk about him because the "Smith model" of business is becoming rare. It’s the idea that you can be incredibly successful without being a celebrity.
- Patience: He held assets for decades, not months.
- Philanthropy: He viewed giving as a "permanent core part" of his family's identity.
- Vision: He saw the shift to suburban life decades before it became the status quo.
If you’re looking for actionable insights from his life, look at his "exit strategy." He knew exactly when to walk away from a business. He didn't let ego keep him attached to a brand that had peaked. He sold at the top, every single time.
For those researching his life for academic or business reasons, the best move is to study his 1990s restructuring of Harcourt General. It’s a masterclass in how to split a massive conglomerate into parts to unlock value. That’s his real "obituary"—not just a date on a tombstone, but a blueprint for how to build something that lasts.