NAHB Mourns the Passing of Past President David C. Smith
David Clark Smith, NAHB President for 1986, passed away Sunday at the age of 90.
Smith was born in rural Virginia and grew up on a farm in Maryland. After a stint in the Army National Guard, Smith built his first home for his wife and himself in 1953.
In 1959, he opened his own home building company, David C. Smith, Inc., a company that still does business as David C. Smith & Sons in Virginia.
During his career, Smith built some 1,500 homes, mostly in Maryland. He was very active in the NAHB Federation at the local level, serving as President of the Frederick County HBA, the HBA of Suburban Maryland, the Maryland HBA and the Metropolitan Washington Builders Council. He also founded the Upper Montgomery County Builders Association, which was unaffiliated with NAHB.
Once he engaged with NAHB at the national level, Smith was very active, serving as Maryland state rep and being elected President in 1986. He was inducted into the Housing Hall of Fame in 1992.
Smith was also politically active, meeting several U.S. Presidents during his career and winning an appointment from George Bush to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Atlanta.
A funeral service will be held 11 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, at Obaugh Funeral Home in McDowell, Va.
Watch a brief clip below of Smith describing his career in his own words.
Latest from NAHBNow
May 23, 2025
Volatile Spring Selling Season ContinuesSales of newly built, single-family homes in April increased 10.9% to a 743,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised March number, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales in April was up 3.3% compared to a year earlier.
May 22, 2025
NAHB Members Cite Impact of Tariff Uncertainty on Home BuildingTariff uncertainty from the Trump administration continues to impact home builders across the country, as builders prepare for potential price hikes and supply chain issues. NAHB members have been sharing the impact that these tariffs are having with media outlets across the United States.
Latest Economic News
May 22, 2025
Existing Home Sales Fall in AprilDespite the brief retreat in mortgage rates and increased supply, existing home sales dropped to 7-month low in April, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This unexpected decline suggests buyers’ activity continues to be constrained by economic uncertainty and ongoing affordability challenges even with improved market conditions.
May 22, 2025
Income Growth Helps Mute Existing Affordability ConstraintsDespite solid income gains and lower home prices, Americans still continue to face major housing affordability challenges, according to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI).
May 21, 2025
Gains for Multifamily Missing Middle over Last YearThe missing middle construction sector includes development of medium-density housing, such as townhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily properties.