Dr. Martin Smith dies

GAINESVILLE - A Gainesville doctor who was a former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics has died.

Dr. Martin H. Smith served in the position 1985-86. Dr. Smith, who was 88, died Monday at Northeast Georgia Medical Center following a brief illness.

Dr. Smith served in a number of other AAP leadership positions, including: District IV chairman and alternate chairman; chairman of the Council on Pediatric Practice; chairman of the Finance Committee; and chairman of the Georgia Chapter.

He opened his pediatric practice in Gainesville in 1951 and served generations of families in the North Georgia area until his retirement in 1981.

He was elected Chairman of the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics from 1966-1969. Over a number of years, he served on a variety of committees of the Executive Board of the American Academy of Pediatrics and culminated his work with this organization as its President from 1985-1986.

During that time, he spearheaded the passage through Congress of the Vaccination Injury Compensation Act of 1986. He testified before Congress on a number of occasions regarding issued related to child health and hi authored several papers in scientific/medical journals on specific topics of childhood illness. He continued his decadeâ