Robert E. Smith, 75; Bay Area Pathologist, Founder of 2 Medical Supply Companies

Robert E. Smith, a noted academic and founder of two Bay Area medical supply companies that helped develop drugs to combat AIDS and other infectious diseases, has died. He was 75.

The pathologist died from complications of diabetes Dec. 16, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Smith, who lived in Livermore, Calif., was born in Indianapolis and paid for his education by working on a farm.

He graduated in 1953 from Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps until 1956 and earned a master’s degree at the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Chronicle reported. He earned his doctorate in comparative pathology and endocrinology at UC San Francisco in 1964.

Smith was an assistant professor of oncology and pathology at Stanford University and later worked for Eli Lilly & Co. and then Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

He was a consultant to several companies and occasionally taught abroad. He wrote nearly 200 articles and co-wrote two books, the Chronicle reported.

Smith founded Enzyme Systems Products Inc. in Dublin, Calif., serving as company president until 1984, when he founded Prototek Research Laboratories Inc. He held 37 U.S. and foreign patents.

In January, he gave $500,000 to UC San Francisco to endow a research chair.

Smith is survived by his wife; three daughters; two sons; and 11 grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to the Robert E. Smith Endowment Chair at UC San Francisco.