Marilyn Smith entered Wright State in 1976 as a “non-traditional” student in the Department of Music. It took a lot of perseverance, and seven years as a part-time student while raising her family, to finish her Bachelor of Music degree in History and Literature, cum laude, in 1983. Her first degree was a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan in 1956.
Following graduation, she spent 12 summers at Oberlin College as a harpsichordist at the Baroque Performance Institute, and 10 summers at the University of Michigan for harpsichord workshop studies. Smith performed with the Dayton Bach Society for 27 years.
After graduation, Smith’s life centered around harpsichord performing and arts volunteering until her death in 2008. She held board positions with the Dayton Opera Guild, Dayton Bach Society, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, and Dayton Philharmonic Volunteer Association. One of her proudest accomplishments with the Bach Society was spearheading a drive to raise funds to purchase a chamber organ to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the society. The group raised $27,000 in less than two months.
