Richard Kaleioku Palmer Smart
Year Inducted: 2011
Parker Ranch | Hawai'i
Richard Smart was the 6th generation of Parker Family members to manage the historic Parker Ranch of Hawai’i. Born to Annie Thelma K. Parker (known as Thelma) and Henry Galliard Smart in 1913, Richard was destined to carry on the Parker traditions. Tragedy struck with the death of his parents, and at the age of two, Richard became the sole heir to the entire Parker Ranch.
Raised by his grandmother, Elizabeth Jane Dowsett, often referred to as “Aunt Tootsie,” Richard received his education in San Francisco and learned about his Parker Ranch legacy from A.W. Carter, ranch manager and his mother Thelma’s legal guardian. During his formative years, Richard spent summers with A.W. Carter learning horsemanship, cattle ranching and all the skills he needed to run the ranch. Turning 20 in 1933, Richard decided to leave the ranch in the capable hands of Carter and pursue an acting career on Broadway.
During his 30-year acting career, Richard Smart kept in close contact with A.W. Carter and the workings of the ranch. He made annual trips to the ranch to continue learning about his legacy. During World War II, Richard Smart made contributions to the war effort by allowing the U.S. Marine Corps to use large portions of the ranch to house more than 25,000 troops for training purposes.
In 1960, Richard Smart came home to Parker Ranch to stay. He made significant contributions by restructuring the breeding program, expanding irrigation facilities and experimenting with feed supplements. Smart began an expansion of the Hawai`i Meat Co. Feedlot on Oahu. In Waimea, he introduced the ranch to the tourism business by building the Parker Ranch Visitor Center and Museum and opened the grand Kahilu Theatre. Smart sold or leased unprofitable coastal ranch lands for resorts.
Richard Smart, in the Parker tradition, continued to promote programs in education, healthcare and community development that benefited his Parker Ranch employees and their families.
Richard lived to be 79 years old and when he passed in 1992, he left a significant gift to his employees and the people of Hawai`i Island. The Parker Ranch Foundation Trust is a perpetual trust established upon Smart’s death that supports those causes Richard held most dear and which would benefit many.
Under Smart, Parker Ranch was one of the largest ranches in the United States and the largest in the State of Hawai`i. It is responsible for many of the innovations in Hawai`i ranching while providing a lifestyle and support for generations of island residents. From John Palmer Parker to Richard Smart, the love of the land never diminished.