Since publishing his first poem at the age of only fourteen, William Jay Smith, 1918-2015, had a long and productive career as a poet and translator, during which he wrote over 50 books of various genres and translated poetry in numerous languages. He was a winner of many major literary awards from both the USA and foreign countries. His distinguished talent led him to important positions, including teaching at several universities, working as a committee member of literary prizes, and serving as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, which is the position known today as US Poet Laureate. Smith's literary works are ranging over diverse genres and themes, from historical poem sequences to poetry for children. Smith was also a talented translator, whose translations of poetry include yet are not limited to French, German, Italian, Hungarian, and Scandinavian. Based on this outstanding linguistic ability, Smith visited a lot of foreign countries, actively engaged in literary, cultural, and political activities. This led to not only the copious records of travel but also a huge volume of research materials on foreign cultures and politics.