In 1952, a blind mother with a vision of her child's future visited Arlington National Cemetery to hear President Dwight Eisenhower present the Medal of Honor at the internment of the Unknown Soldiers of WWII. What transpired was the birth of a sense of duty and sacrifice for country and appreciation for history in her son.

It was then that a young Ed Smith vowed to read a book a week for the rest of his life. In 1960, that child had kept his promise, graduating near the top of the first-ever desegregated class from Western High School (now Duke Ellington High School). Lacking resources to attend college, a young Edward Smith began working in the mail room of the White House for President Johnson during the War on Poverty. His talent for writing became evident at this time and paved the way for his success as: the first African-American tenured Professor of American University; the founder of that university's Civil War Institute; a speech writer for President Carter; and a founder of the Heights School in Potomac, MD. In 1997, in collaboration with two Catholic Study Centers, he founded the Youth Leadership Foundation. Since 1997, the organization has supported character development in the character of more than 4,000 students. YLF hosts after school mentoring, summer enrichment and high school leadership programs. In his ability to channel in our history to teach us about ourselves, Edward C. Smith achieves the aim of the consummate educator: to instruct the human soul.