Frank Edward Smith

Sir Frank Edward Smith GCB GBE FRS (14 October 1876 – 1 July 1970) was a British physicist and Acting Director of the National Physical Laboratory between 1936 and 1937

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918. His candidacy citation read:

"Principal Assistant in the National Physical Laboratory (Physics Department). Author of a number of papers dealing with electrical units which have appeared in the Philosophical Transactions and elsewhere. Among the more important, published in 1907-1908, are those on 'A New Current Weigher' (in conjunction with the late Prof Ayrton and Prof Mather); and on the 'Silver Voltameter' (with Profs Mather and Lowry). Papers on 'Mercury Standards of Resistance,' and on 'The Changes of Standards of Resistance,' appeared in 1909. Since that time Mr Smith has been occupied with the 'Determination of the Absolute Unit of Resistance,' and a most important paper giving the results of this enquiry has just been communicated to the Royal Society. He has also recently edited the Collected Volume of Reports of the BA Electrical Standards Committee. In 1908 he gave valuable assistance in connection with the International Congress on Electrical Units, and as a member of Lord Rayleigh's Committee appointed by the Congress, has since assisted in international work at Washington. In a paper recently published by the Bureau of Standards it is stated that his work in 1907 'marks the beginning of a new epoch in the history of the absolute measurement of electrical quantities.' It is in no small degree in consequence of these researches that the National Physical Laboratory has gained the high position it now occupies in regard to fundamental electrical measurements. "

Smith was also awarded the Hughes Medal in 1925.