SMITH, Edgar Fahs (1854—). An American chemist, born in York, Pa. He graduated at Pennsylvania College in 1874, and at the University of Göttingen, Germany, in 1876. After filling various chairs in chemistry, he was called to the University of Pennsylvania and made director of the John Harrison Laboratory, and he afterwards became vice-provost of the university. His contributions to chemistry have been considerable, especially in the domain of mineral chemistry and in electrolytic methods of analysis. He wrote Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds (2 vols., 3d ed. 1900), and Experiments Arranged for Students in General Chemistry (with H. F. Keller, 4th ed. 1900).