Originally from Guelph, Ontario (Canada), Andrew Smith majored in History at Acadia University. Massive failures on the football field and the indoor track circuit did not disqualify him from earning a BA and the A.H. Maclean award for best Honors thesis. Before leaving Acadia, however, he was introduced to the field of sport history which he pursued as a graduate student at Purdue University, where he completed an MA and PhD in U.S. History, focusing in particular on sport, race, and the American experience.
In his first book, “No Way But to Fight: George Foreman and the Business of Boxing,” Smith seeks to historicize, globalize, and contextualize the life and career of an Olympic gold medalist and two-time heavyweight champion.
More of Smith’s work can be found in academic journals like the Journal of Sport History and International Journal of the History of Sport, as well as edited volumes and the Sport in American History blog.
Andrew R.M. Smith 