Peter Plympton Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Plympton Smith
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Vermont's at-large district
In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1991
Preceded by	Jim Jeffords
Succeeded by	Bernie Sanders
76th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office January 10, 1983 – January 3, 1987
Governor	Richard Snelling Madeleine Kunin
Preceded by	Madeleine Kunin
Succeeded by	Howard Dean
Personal details
Born	Peter Plympton Smith (1945-10-31) October 31, 1945 (age 79) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	Princeton University (BA) Harvard University (MA, EdD)

Peter Plympton Smith, born on October 31, 1945, is an American educator and politician. He has held many important jobs in both education and government. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Vermont. He was also the 76th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont.

Peter Smith helped start the Community College of Vermont. He also helped create California State University, Monterey Bay. Later, he became an assistant director for education at UNESCO, a part of the United Nations. Today, he works for Kaplan Higher Education Corporation, a global education company. He helps make learning programs better and more personal for students.

Peter Smith's Early Life and Education

Peter Smith was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Burlington, Vermont. His father, Frederick Plympton Smith, was a banker and a state senator in Vermont.

Peter went to Phillips Academy and finished in 1964. He then studied history at Princeton University, earning his degree in 1968. He continued his studies at Harvard University. He received a master's degree in teaching in 1970. In 1983, he earned his doctorate in education from Harvard.

Peter's Career in Education and Politics

Peter Smith started his career helping the Vermont Commissioner of Education for a year. In 1970, he became the first president of the Community College of Vermont. This college is part of the Vermont State Colleges system.

Peter's Political Journey

Peter first ran for office in 1978. He won the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor. However, he lost the main election to Democrat Madeleine M. Kunin.

From 1981 to 1983, he served as a Vermont State Senator. He represented the Washington County area. When Madeleine Kunin decided not to run again in 1982, Peter Smith was elected to take her place. He served two terms as Lieutenant Governor.

In 1986, he ran for Governor of Vermont but was defeated by Kunin. After working at Norwich University for two years, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1988. He represented Vermont's at-large congressional district. In 1990, he lost his re-election bid to Independent Bernie Sanders. As of 2022, he was the last Republican to represent Vermont in the U.S. House.

Peter's Books on Education

Peter Smith has written several books about education. One book, Your Hidden Credentials, talks about getting college credit for life experiences. His book, The Quiet Crisis, discusses challenges in higher education. He also wrote Harnessing America's Wasted Talent and Free-range Learning in the Digital Age. These books share his ideas on how education can improve.

Leading Universities and Organizations

From 1991 to 1994, Smith was a dean at George Washington University. He also led a U.S. commission on how to pay for higher education. In 1994, he was chosen to be the first president of California State University, Monterey Bay. He held this position until 2005. After that, he became an assistant director for education at UNESCO.

Peter's Work at UNESCO

At UNESCO, Peter Smith focused on making education better for students worldwide. He believed it was important to protect students from low-quality schools and fake degrees. He said, "Quality is an issue."

He tried to make big changes to UNESCO's education programs. These changes included new strategies to support national education and a global action plan. He also worked to restructure how the education sector was managed. These changes were approved in June 2006.

However, there were disagreements about his reforms. Questions arose about how some contracts were handled. In March 2007, due to the difficult environment, Peter Smith resigned from his role.

University of Maryland University College

In April 2016, University of Maryland University College announced that Peter Smith would join them. He was appointed as a special professor to improve how the school delivers learning and support services.

Later Career and Family

Peter Smith was one of thirty former Republican congressmen who signed a letter opposing Donald Trump's run for president. In 2021, he published another book about the American higher education system.

Peter Smith is the older brother of Charles Plympton Smith, who was also a state representative.